S2. E2: Beyond Buzzwords: The Realities of Generative AI in Defence

21-09-2023 • 44 mins

Well, we said we’d come back to the topic of AI and do a deeper dive into the subject. Since Generative AI sprung into our collective consciousness earlier this year, the hype hasn’t really died down. So we are pleased to explore the impact of the technology with someone who has direct experience of implementing AI into defence projects - Rob Albritton from OctoLab, which was recently acquired by IBM.

Rob provides an explanation of what generative AI means, and how it differs from other machine learning technologies, and why it matters to defence. He then talks us through his experience in deploying generative AI on defence projects, sharing his views on where it can add value as well as some of the pitfalls.

We wrap up the discussion with some real insights into some of the challenges and risks of deploying this technology - such as the problem of model ‘drift’ and the challenge of applying it to safety critical applications.

This episode is a must if you're still confused by a lot of the buzzwords and terms surrounding generative AI.

Hosts:

Tom Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/
Colin Hillier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinhillier/

Guest:

Rob Albritton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robalbritton/

Episode Sponsor: Babcock International

Babcock has always operated hand in hand with our customers because their mission is our mission. Our people support the British Army by contributing to front-line support, delivering the capability they need, available to them wherever, whenever and however they need it. We ensure the British Army can focus on their missions safely by supporting their vehicles, both armoured and white fleet with skilled engineers and capability backed by long-term through-life engineering expertise.

We enable our defence and emergency services customers to do their job with our technical training programmes. We combine deep understanding and long-term commitment with constructive challenge. An embedded partner, focussed on outcomes. Globally, new defence and resilience equipment programmes and asset modernisation programmes are seeing a resurgence. Training personnel is a critical component to support these programmes.

Whether it’s applying engineering excellence or the latest technology, we combine our expertise with a practical mindset. Alongside our deep engineering experience, digital and data technologies will allow us to better understand, predict and enhance the performance of the assets we manage, make better engineering decisions to reduce risk and improve service delivery.