Human-Artificial Intelligence Teaming for the U.S. Navy: Developing a Holistic Research Roadmap

To address the increasing need for efficient data analysis and decision-making in defense, the U.S. Navy is prioritizing AI/ML systems capable of handling multi-source data and suggesting courses of actions. Historically, many such systems failed due to technical issues and lack of usability or mission relevance. Research on human-AI collaboration aims to create AI systems that better integrate with frontline operators. A recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Report (NASEM) outlined 57 research goals, but the U.S. Navy requires a more-focused set of priorities. A workshop with 23 experts from various fields was held at the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, resulting in five key research priorities spanning different time frames. This panel discusses the workshop’s findings, highlighting critical questions going into this workshop and those coming out of it. Panel participants come from government, academia, and industry, providing unique perspectives on big questions for human-AI teaming.