The Defense Information System Agency (DISA) has initiated the integration of its digital “Concierge AI” platform, beginning with its application in human resources, the agency’s technology chief said on Jan. 17.
During AFCEA NOVA’s Army IT Day, Steve Wallace, director of emerging technology and chief technology officer at DISA, highlighted the agency’s ongoing progress in developing its Concierge AI model, with the initial focus on human resources applications.
“We are on the cusp, and I’m riding the team every day for ‘When are we going to turn it on?’” Wallace said. “We are very close.”
Earlier this year the agency began piloting its Concierge AI platform to serve as a digital concierge to enhance its workforce’s capabilities. The platform takes data from controlled unclassified information settings and drops them into a database where – with the help of large language models (LLMs) – that database will present users with answers.
Wallace said the model relies heavily on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), to complete its functions. The model also uses OpenAI to develop responses and learn from internal communications.
“We load all the HR policies in, and we allow the users to ask questions about it,” Wallace said. “So that’s one of the first things that will kick off.”
While Wallace said he is excited about the potential for expansion through AI in the agency, he mentioned instances of AI providing incorrect answers to certain questions throughout the testing phase.
“It’s just like the early stages of GPS. Don’t trust it, verify it,” Wallace said. “So that’s one of the things we try to be very cautious about as we move further.”
When AI is fully integrated, Wallace said he sees it as a tool to increase productivity across all departments.
“The nice thing about this is it isn’t in one office … This is something that will scale and it will scale pretty linearly,” Wallace said. “We see a lot of the Gen AI work as force multipliers … Whether it be in straight coding or however you want to use it.”
