The Defense Logistics Agency has awarded three artificial intelligence contracts worth a total of $3.5 million to Accenture, Arlington, Virginia. Knexus in National Harbor, Maryland. and Scale AI in San Francisco, California. This marks the completion of the final stage of the agency’s first hackathon, which began in the spring.
The agreement will support exploration of AI tools to create reporting mechanisms for demand planning use cases, customized chatbot apps, and virtual agents for acquisition business systems.
The hackathon provided vendors with an opportunity to demonstrate how their AI and machine learning capabilities can provide innovative solutions to DLA’s daily operations. One of the key objectives was to create the acquisition model needed to test, pilot, and procure AI and ML technologies for specific DLA requirements.
“DLA’s goal to become a digital organization is to standardize how the agency uses emerging technologies to address DLA’s critical logistics challenges,” said Adaryl Roberts, DLA’s chief information officer. It’s a journey that begins.” “These awards are the first attempt to expand the use of AI and create repeatable end-to-end procurement solutions.”
DLA released a wide-ranging agency announcement in March calling on companies to provide white papers on their capabilities and then soliciting technical and cost proposals for accepted papers.
“We provide information on data scraping techniques, including the use of AI-powered tools with large-scale language models and moving AI capabilities to cloud environments,” said David Koch, director of research and development at DLA. We were looking for vendor submissions.”
Of particular interest are vendors who have an informed understanding of the agency’s business and supply chain dynamics and provide optimally customized technology solutions, he added.
The DLA team, comprised of R&D, AI, and cybersecurity experts, evaluates the We reviewed 46 submissions. The number of entries was further reduced to 17, then 12.
Based on these evaluations, DLA selected six vendors to present their proposals to approximately 50 leaders representing the Department of Defense, military services, DLA, and academia at an in-person event June 24.
“This process is about more than just technology, it’s about how we evaluate vendor methodologies, approaches, and processes to ensure we’re moving in the right direction, asking the right questions, and leveraging these technologies in the best possible way. “It’s also a way to confirm,” Roberts said. Said.
The technology evaluation team then reviewed the information presented from the vendors’ white papers, technical and cost proposals, and in-person demonstrations and selected three companies as winners.
“DLA recognizes that AI, automation, and machine learning will drive significant changes across the agency,” said Linda VanDyke, DLA’s chief digital and artificial intelligence officer. “We must consider the acquisition of these technologies through the lens of responsible AI to fully understand their future impact on our mission.”
He added that as DLA focuses on building a more adaptable and resilient global supply chain, it will be important to embrace these technologies and apply them to the right use cases.
DLA plans to hold its next hackathon in 2025.
