COMMENTARY
The three supporting technologies of intelligent agents, smart contracts and blockchain must be developed and integrated to provide the dynamic operational capability required to facilitate the procurement process.
spending power over time. Although the Army did not project future growth in its budget, it still designated AI as an Army research priority because it would help the service increase the speed and agility with which it responds to current and future threats. While funding and prioritiza- tion are important factors, leaders must also consider the engine that powers the new intelligent contracting platform—the workforce.
Government leaders must understand that the intelligent-contracting system will only be as good as the workforce that operates, maintains and sustains it. Change driven by innovation and new technology may create a fear among staff that they will be replaced by computers or by people with more relevant skill sets. How will the implementation of the intel- ligent contracting platform impact the contracting workforce? What will happen to the thousands of federal workers who have spent years learning a craft that will eventually be facilitated by AI and intel- ligent agents?
Te early answer is that the current work- force will need to be retrained to integrate and work with emerging technologies; however, it’s important to note that these
technologies will not replace the contract- ing workforce. Early research has shown that AI works best in conjunction with humans, and as Michael Luca, Jon Klein- berg and Sendhil Mullainathan noted in the Harvard Business Review in its Janu- ary–February 2016 issue, even algorithms need to be managed. Te bottom line is that there will be a requirement to retrain workers to work in collaboration with AI and other emerging technologies; however, technology will not replace people.
CONCLUSION Implementation of this intelligent- contracting platform will require the right people with the right expertise, including a workforce that is skilled in the design, development and use of AI in diverse applications. In preparation for this future requirement, the AIGA required the Office of Personnel Management to identify the skills federal workers would need to work with AI and to develop an AI-specific job series based on those skills. Laura Cox, senior staff writer at
disruptionhub.com, identified change as the only constant in business, and that the disruptive nature of digital technology will increase the speed of change and impact how organizations operate. Federal contracting agencies will not be excluded. Te government should
get ahead of the coming changes by harnessing the power of the six emerging technologies and identifying procurement transformation as a top priority for govern- ment agencies.
For more information, contact the author at
vernon.l.myers2.civ@
mail.mil.
VERNON MYERS, Col., USA (Ret.), is the acting deputy executive director at U.S. Army Contracting Command – Orlando, Florida. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration with a specialization in innovation and strategy at Capella University. He holds an M.S. in materiel acquisition management from Florida Institute of Technology and a B.S. in business administration from Central State University. He is an avid student and practitioner in the areas of leadership, innovation and creativity and is the author of “Te Idea Journal: A Tool for Unleashing Your Urge to Create.” He is an Army Acquisition Corps member, is Level III certified in contracting and in program management, and has earned the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. His last article in Army AL&T, “What the Customer Sees,” appeared in the April-June 2012 issue, Page 93.
https://asc.ar my.mil
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