EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND MODERNIZING THE ARMY
xTech competitions that have Project Linchpin-specific focus areas, putting innovation into action for the Army.
“Trough the Army SBIR and xTech Programs, Project Linch- pin serves as a cornerstone for the Army’s efforts to harness AI at scale, ensuring that the solutions are secure, trusted and effec- tively integrated into military applications,” Anderson said.
Ellison Anne Williams, founder and CEO of Enveil, Inc., noted that nontraditional innovators are leveraging the power of trans- formative capabilities without compromising mission interests.
“Project Linchpin is dedicated to advancing the Army’s AI/ML efforts in a secure, trustworthy, sustainable way, and we are proud to be working in support of this initiative by delivering capabili- ties that showcase the broad, mission-enabling impact of privacy enhancing technologies,” she said.
programs lies the ultimate commitment to support the Soldier.
INNOVATION IN ACTION Launched in spring 2023, xTechPrime served as a unique compe- tition model that combined the flexibility and ingenuity of small businesses with the resources and expertise of technology inte- grators. XTechPrime is an example of how the Army can tailor their competition models so that PEOs and program managers can accelerate the development of technologies through Army SBIR and xTech.
Fifteen xTechPrime winners received $40,000 in cash prizes and submitted a Direct to Phase II Army SBIR contract worth up to $2 million. Te competition addressed various topics that impact Army readiness; notably, PM IS&A supported a Project Linch- pin topic to provide small businesses a chance to showcase their innovative technology solutions.
Latent AI and Enveil, Inc., alongside their respective technology integrators, Booz Allen Hamilton and RTX Corporation, won for the Project Linchpin topic. Tis win facilitated crucial Army connections, cash prizes and an Army SBIR Direct to Phase II contract award to prove the technology feasibility for its Proj- ect Linchpin application. “Project Linchpin leverages xTech and Army SBIR Programs to explore innovative technologies from small businesses, and does so in a very focused, rapid manner,” said Sek Chai, Ph.D., Latent AI co-founder and chief technol- ogy officer. “XTechPrime, for example, is structured to consider how technology is evaluated and integrated into current infra- structure and workflow.”
At the heart of the
In addition to xTechPrime, xTech launched two additional AI-specific competitions in fiscal year 2024. In late 2023, Young Bang, ASA(ALT) principal deputy, requested that Willis and his team utilize the prize competition structure to seek solutions from small businesses to defend against adversarial AI threats. XTechScalable AI launched in December 2023, and xTechScal- able AI 2 launched quickly thereafter in March 2024 to continue fueling the Project Linchpin pipeline of tools and services. Te range of solutions received from these competitions highlights how ASA(ALT)’s vision can pair with Army programs to nurture scalable, commercial AI solutions from small businesses.
“Project Linchpin plays a pivotal role in the Army’s efforts to scale AI capabilities, particularly through the collaboration with the Army SBIR and xTech Programs,” Anderson said. “For instance, the xTechScalable AI 2 competition aligns to Project Linchpin’s core needs and has provided a range of commercial solutions that each have the potential to be a critical part of the Army’s strat- egy to deliver trusted AI.” Anderson concluded by noting that as AI innovation continues to evolve, Project Linchpin hopes to further partnerships with Army SBIR and xTech to grow its portfolio of possibilities.
Looking ahead, the Army plans to launch more AI-focused competitions in fiscal year 2025. Tese competitions consist of multiple Technical Grand Challenges, as well as open-topic Army SBIR solicitations, to continue driving AI innovation. Te Technical Grand Challenges, directed by ASA(ALT), are asso- ciated with Project Linchpin and the open-topic competitions are designed to explore the “realm of the possible” and include AI-specific focus areas or solutions.
CONCLUSION Te Army SBIR and xTech Programs remain committed to partnerships that span innovation ecosystems, support Army organizations buy down risk and discover what is possible within industry’s innovation ecosystem. To match the speed and flexi- bility of small and nontraditional businesses, the programs find
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