Building resilience in the edge AI industrial base

The Department of War (DoW) seeks to build resilient supply chains to maintain national security and global prosperity. This national resolve is focused on a healthy defense industry built on robust, diverse, and secure supply chains. Key elements include semiconductor sovereignty; a continued focus on securing microelectronics; resourced programs to address challenges in advanced computing platforms; and unrivaled development of trusted AI components. 

These supply chain risks are equally critical for Edge AI hardware and software, as the weapon systems and tactical devices that drive mission success are the very components that drive mission success. This Edge AI ecosystem is bolstered by the American spirit of entrepreneurship and by an innovation ecosystem that drives cutting-edge research in AI and computing. It is backed by capital-driven markets, founders, and companies with the spirit of innovation, progress, and resiliency that shapes the global defense industry.

Catalyzing innovation through partnerships

The Edge AI Industrial Base is complex and diverse. It has a strong capacity for innovation. Competitive technical advantages, in areas such as embedded analytics, 5G connectivity, decentralized AI, and autonomous robotics, translate into peacetime deterrence and, when needed, battlefield dominance. 

A secure, self-sustaining supply chain to build AI-powered systems requires broad-based stakeholder coalitions and public-private partnerships. Collaborations among the industrial base and also with the Government help catalyze economic growth across the technology sector. It will help create high-value jobs in semiconductor fabrication, algorithmic engineering, and system engineering. From drone swarms to AI-driven logistics, we expect dual-use technologies in Edge AI to proliferate, enabling DoW to leverage its growth for defense.

Mobilization of the edge AI industrial base

Strengthen domestic production capacity: Accelerate onshoring of critical technologies by diversifying supply chains with domestic and allied partners. To ensure defense capabilities remain robust amid global disruptions, we must ensure reliable access to manufacturing and assembly. This requires a unified effort between the Edge AI ecosystem and the DoW, supported by forward-looking acquisition strategies and contracting mechanisms that prioritize secure, resilient, and trusted sources. The recent SecWar creation of the Business Operators for National Defense (BOND) program is a great example of DoW outreach to experienced industry experts to help overhaul the acquisition process.

Aggregate consistent demand signal: To ensure a reliable and sustainable supply chain, solutions must be delivered at a reasonable cost. This is best achieved by prioritizing dual-use technologies (e.g., products that serve commercial markets while meeting or exceeding defense requirements), thereby leveraging economies of scale. Simultaneously, the DoW should provide a consistent demand signal to give industry the confidence to invest in maturing these capabilities. While exact annual order volumes may fluctuate, continuous engagement allows the private sector to better plan, invest, and align its production with the DoW procurement cycles.

Develop common standards: The DoW stands to gain significantly from adopting the industry standards that have enabled the commercial sector to innovate and scale solutions efficiently. In turn, industry must embrace modularity and interoperability to ensure seamless integration to DoW systems. Furthermore, active collaboration between the DoW and private sector partners is essential to adapt these commercial baselines to meet unique military requirements. Finally, standardization streamlines testing and evaluation processes, enabling the DoD to conduct direct, objective comparisons across competing solutions.

Latent AI leads the way

Our efforts towards the mobilization of the Edge AI industrial base have already begun. In partnership with the Atlantic Council, Latent AI co-published an article, “Employing artificial intelligence and the edge continuum for joint operations”, to offer a refined definition of the edge continuum towards JADC2 decision-cycle. This article highlights the principle of distributed computing power and information processing “as close to the edge as possible, while preserving the ability to pass harder problems securely and confidently up the continuum as necessary”.  Later, Latent AI co-published a follow-on report on Software-Defined Warfare, offering the insights on adopting modern software practices for existing DoW platforms. 

Latent AI continues leading the Defense Working Group at the Edge AI Foundation. This industry-led initiative will help elevate the role of Edge AI in national security operations and ensure the critical supply chain for the Department of War (DoW) and its allies. The goal of the Defense Working Group will be to engage and mobilize the ecosystem to bring widespread, flexible and robust Edge AI deployments.

Latent AI’s vision is making edge AI simple, secure, and scalable. Our goal is to accelerate the pace of edge AI deployment by providing foundational platforms for AI-based applications. Our optimizations shrink models, accelerate inference, and run efficiently on constrained hardware while preserving accuracy. The outcome is AI that performs exactly where it matters most: at the point of action.

Want to see how edge AI can transform your operations, in defense or any other field? Reach out to us at latentai.com to explore our solutions. Let’s build the future together.