{"id":203344,"date":"2026-04-08T16:26:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T20:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/usf-and-by-light-formalize-partnership-to-advance-trusted-ai-for-national-security\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T16:26:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T20:26:00","slug":"usf-and-by-light-formalize-partnership-to-advance-trusted-ai-for-national-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/usf-and-by-light-formalize-partnership-to-advance-trusted-ai-for-national-security\/","title":{"rendered":"USF and By Light formalize partnership to advance trusted AI for national security"},"content":{"rendered":"

USF and By Light formalize partnership to advance trusted AI for national security<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.usf.edu\/news\/2026\/usf-and-by-light-formalize-partnership-to-advance-trusted-ai-for-national-security.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-04-08 16:26:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.usf.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. <\/p>\n

By Tina Meketa, University Communications and Marketing<\/p>\n

The University of South Florida and defense contractor By Light Professional IT Services LLC have formalized a strategic partnership to advance the development of safer, more
\n reliable artificial intelligence systems for national security and beyond.<\/p>\n

The agreement establishes a framework for collaboration across the full spectrum of
\n modern conflict and technology. Key focus areas for future joint initiatives include
\n artificial intelligence, aerospace and space operations, hypersonics, cyber and cybersecurity
\n and the development of next-generation unmanned aerial and ground systems. At the
\n center of the partnership is a shared goal: Ensuring that emerging AI technologies
\n are not only powerful, but also trustworthy.<\/p>\n

“As a USF alumnus, I\u2019ve seen firsthand the university’s trajectory in becoming a premier
\n research institution, said Bob Donahue, CEO of By Light. \u201cFormalizing this partnership
\n allows By Light to bridge the gap between academic rigor and operational necessity.
\n USF\u2019s world-class research, particularly within the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing and the Global and National Security Institute, provides the foundational ‘AI assurance’ required to deploy these technologies in
\n high-stakes environments where failure is not an option.”<\/p>\n

While By Light specializes in developing advanced simulation environments and AI-driven
\n systems for defense applications, USF researchers bring a distinct strength \u2013 using
\n mathematics and theoretical computer science to verify that these systems behave as
\n intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI systems are already being used to make complex decisions in high-stakes environments.
\n Our role is to ensure those systems are reliable, transparent and aligned with human
\n expectations.\u201d
\n Assistant Professor Ankur MaliUSF Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing<\/p>\n

Building trust into AI systems<\/p>\n

A key focus of the collaboration is developing what researchers call \u201cAI assurance\u201d
\n \u2013 methods that go beyond training algorithms to mathematically evaluate and validate
\n their behavior.<\/p>\n

In one project, researchers are working to enhance automated target recognition systems
\n by introducing formal safeguards. These tools are designed to help AI systems distinguish
\n between valid targets and protected entities, while also providing measurable confidence
\n in those decisions.<\/p>\n

Rather than relying solely on data and probability, USF researchers are applying formal
\n methods \u2013 rigorous mathematical techniques \u2013 to establish clear boundaries around
\n how AI systems operate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur work focuses on providing formal guarantees \u2013 mathematically proving how these
\n systems will behave under different conditions,\u201d said Anshuman Chhabra, assistant
\n professor of computer science and engineering. \u201cIt\u2019s about adding a layer of robustness
\n and accountability that goes beyond traditional AI development.\u201d<\/p>\n

Simulating the unknown<\/p>\n

Because real-world defense scenarios are difficult \u2013 and often impossible to replicate
\n at scale, By Light generates large volumes of synthetic data through advanced simulations.
\n These simulations model a wide range of environments, from varied weather conditions
\n to disrupted communications systems.<\/p>\n

USF researchers then analyze this data to ensure the underlying models are sound and
\n that the AI systems trained on it perform reliably across scenarios.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince real-world data is limited, simulation plays a critical role,\u201d said Seungbae
\n Kim, assistant professor in the Bellini College. \u201cOur goal is to ensure that synthetic
\n data leads to reliable performance in real-world environments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another area of collaboration focuses on autonomous systems operating in GPS-denied
\n environments \u2013 situations where navigation signals are unavailable or disrupted. Researchers
\n are developing methods to ensure unmanned systems can continue to operate safely and
\n effectively under these conditions, even when external guidance is limited.<\/p>\n

Broader impact beyond defense<\/p>\n

While the initial applications are focused on national security, the implications
\n of this work extend far beyond the defense sector.<\/p>\n

The same techniques used to validate AI decision-making could be applied in health
\n care, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure \u2013 anywhere AI is used to support high-stakes
\n decisions.<\/p>\n

Strengthening innovation in Florida<\/p>\n

The partnership also reinforces USF\u2019s role as a leader in emerging technologies and
\n strengthens connections between academia, industry and national security partners.
\n USF\u2019s Global and National Security Institute, Institute of Applied Engineering and Bellini College together create an integrated ecosystem to help partners find solutions to national
\n security challenges at the boundary of technology and policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

By combining real-world applications with foundational research, the collaboration
\n provides opportunities for students and researchers to contribute to cutting-edge
\n innovations with global impact.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

USF and By Light formalize partnership to advance trusted AI for national security https:\/\/www.usf.edu\/news\/2026\/usf-and-by-light-formalize-partnership-to-advance-trusted-ai-for-national-security.aspx Publish…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[26,20,24],"class_list":["post-203344","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cybersecurity","tag-ai","tag-artificial-intelligence","tag-cybersecurity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203344"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203344"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203344\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203344"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203344"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203344"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}