BC NA December 2020

Building
trusted,
secure,
and safe
AI systems
Reliable, resilient,
and secure AI solutions
Ron Keesing,VP
of AI and Machine
Learning, discusses
how Leidos is
exploring the
applications and
addressing the
challenges of modern
automation tech
Leidos’ mission is to make the world safer, healthier,
and more secure. We take on some of the world’s most
interesting, challenging, and data-centric problems,”
says Ron Keesing, VP of AI and Machine Learning
at Leidos.
Among the company’s core technical competencies is the
development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine
learning, which it hopes to incorporate into all of
its solutions. Leidos often begins by adapting technology
developed in the commercial and academic world to the
missions and domains of our customers. On the DARPA
ACE (Air Combat Evolution) program. Keesing says,
“We’re taking a technology that came from the commercial
world and using it to transform aerial combat. AI allows
us to invert traditional battle paradigms, from one where
many people control a single aircraft into one where a
single person can control a team of manned and unmanned
assets to complete complex mission objectives.”
“We combine humans and machines to be able to perform
these missions better and faster. Leidos’ role as an
integrator of AI technology comes from many different
sources, and we bring them all together into solutions
that the U.S. Government can use. Currently, we’re using
AI to transform the processing of veterans’ health benefits
to make sure they’re receiving improved healthcare
through natural language processing (NLP). This will
enable faster claims and benefits processing with much
higher accuracy and speed than was possible before.”
Keesing emphasizes the importance of keeping up with
the latest AI-based research and promoting understanding
among clients regarding the best way to use it. “Many
across the community are also starting to appreciate
what it means for AI systems to be ethical; we wouldn’t
want systems making crucial mistakes that could put
human safety at risk or behave in a manner we perceive
as unfair.” As such, Leidos believes in building trust
between humans and AI to foster comprehension and
encourage its more comprehensive application.
Keesing closes by encouraging everyone, from students
to senior decision-makers, to invest their attention in
AI’s development. “This is such an exciting time for
people thinking about launching careers in AI and
machine learning, making sure how people understand
AI will affect their systems and programs. Whether we
want it or not, this technology is going to transform
every aspect of our world, and Leidos’ is staying ahead
to make sure the systems we’re building are safe, secure,
and can be trusted.