AI ‘explainability’ is a ‘major concern’ for National Reconnaissance Office: Director

The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is focusing on enhancing AI explainability to track how AI algorithms arrive at conclusions during data analysis.
AI is currently used to increase autonomy and manage the NRO’s expanding fleet of satellites, particularly as it operates a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit.
The challenge lies in validating AI’s analysis of complex sensor data from the NRO and commercial partner satellites, making the analysis more comprehensible for military and administration consumers.
Scolese emphasized the need to understand AI algorithms to verify the correctness and accuracy of predictions, utilizing a setup called the “Ultra-Dense Environment” with GPU technology.
Under Chris Scolese’s seven-year tenure as the NRO’s director, the agency has transformed significantly, delivering new, more accurate measurement capabilities across diverse collection modalities and enhancing resilience against malign activities.