NIPRGPT: AI FOR THE AIR FORCE IS BECOMING A REALITY
If you’re reading this, chances are, you’ve seen or used features of artificial intelligence (AI) in one way or another. Whether it’s a commercial or on your device, there are a lot of ways AI is interwoven into more of what we do as a whole. While the technology is far from new, it’s clear that in the last few years, AI has seen a boom, and integration of the tech isn’t lost on the military either. This is how NIPRGPT came to be, and why it continues to gain traction while impressing the military with what it can do for the American Armed Forces.
What Is NIPRGPT?
A new AI tool from the Air Force and Space Force was launched in June 2023, known as NIPRGPT. Think along the lines of ChatGPT or Google Gemini but for use in the military. So far, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is finding that the AI tool is proving to be very popular as more than 80,000 Airmen and Guardians have already experimented with NIPRGPT’s AI. While many of us enjoy the likes of ChatGPT as a personal assistant or use AI to help us better search the Internet, these tools have plenty of applications for bettering current and future technologies. The AFRL is finding that early adopters come from diverse career fields, using the tool for a wide range of tasks, such as content creation and coding, reflecting their diverse backgrounds in the branches. Becoming more efficient is a big goal for using the “Air Force Chat GPT,” which is why the ongoing studies continue to look for diverse applications in order to better meet present and future needs.
Air Force AI and the Future of the Military
Improving security and efficiency continue to be goals for Air Force artificial intelligence, as the need to free up Airmen and Guardians for other tasks persists. In addition to NIPRGPT, the military uses other tools and applications efficiently:
- Implementing ChatGPT and other generative AI tools to streamline tasks is well underway.
- While the USAF and USSF are focusing on NIPRGPT, the Navy is also working on its own application of AI, through a conversational program called Amelia. Launched in 2023, Amelia helps Sailors in need of tech support and troubleshooting assistance.
- The Army also began using its Ask Sage generative AI platform in 2023 to assist Soldiers in the modern era.
There is high demand for AI tools like NIPRGPT and all of the military branches are taking notice. At the end of the day, working in the military is like working in other jobs and the evolution of AI in the workplace continues to creep into more and more actions as new uses and technologies develop.
NIPRGPT Already Inspiring Innovation
Artificial intelligence in the Air Force is already showing innovative application that goes beyond service members simply asking AI questions and moving on with the answers as they would using the Google search engine. Using a method known as Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), NIPRGPT can provide complex answers and solutions for a variety of functions. By doing so, service members are already tailoring the AI to the specific needs of their roles. This step is a welcomed one by the military as NIPRGPT is allowing for more self-sufficiency in finding solutions. Furthermore, NIPRGPT is eliminating system upgrades and dashboards to better streamline processes. Rather than using a single vendor, the AFRL developed its AI through public models and is continuing to test it for future use. There’s no hurry for the AFRL to adopt AI full-on as it’s using the evidence found through service members using NIPRGPT to make decisions for the future of the technology in the USAF and USSF. Suggested reads: