Transformative Acquisition: Applying AI to the Business of the Air Force
The U.S. Air Force’s Program Executive Office (PEO) for Cyber and Networks is pulling in modern tools to revamp its acquisition processes. The use of large language models, artificial intelligence (AI) and other digital tools will transform how the PEO with a $21 billion portfolio does business, said Maj. Gen. Anthony Genatempo, program executive officer for Cyber and Networks, Hanscom Air Base, Massachusetts.
“What I am talking about, what I think is in front of us, is revolutionary change,” Genatempo said. “We are on the precipice today with the tool sets in hand, with large language models and generative AI, that I think will revolutionize not only the business that we are in, but how we conduct business.”
The Air Force has already realigned the PEO’s portfolio as part of a greater Air Force reoptimization to position itself better for great power competition with China. And, along with a name change from the PEO for Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence and Networks, the PEO for Cyber and Networks deconflicted its efforts with the Department of the Air Force’s (DAF’s) PEO for Command, Control Communications and Battle Management, or C3BM, which is fielding the DAF Battle Network.
“That was complete this summer, and with what that meant across the board for Air Force acquisition,” Genatempo explained on November 21 at the AFCEA Alamo ACE conference in San Antonio.
The PEO’s four directorates, however, have not changed. They include: the Aerial Networks Division, the Crypto and Cyber Division, the Enterprise Information Technology and Cyber Infrastructure Division, and the Special Projects Division, the general said.
Notably, what will change is how the PEO deals with proposals, contracting, requests for information, market research, requests for proposals (RFPs)—by leveraging generative AI in the process.
The general purports that this could drastically reduce the time it takes to go across the acquisition cycle, so maybe instead of 14 months, it could take only 14 days.
“Fourteen days? Could we achieve that tomorrow?” Genatempo asked the audience members from industry. “Probably not. But what I think we are going to be able to achieve is slashing that in half in the next few months.”
These powerful tools, especially when combined with what industry is doing with generative AI to respond to solicitations, collectively will make the entire process much more efficient—an amplifying wave, he said.
The AI tools in solicitations are meant to handle the rote acquisition processes and aid with the office's backlog of work. It will free up the people to manage the tough, complex problems and innovate, Genatempo clarified.
“The toil is what I am trying to reduce in our folks’ lives,” he noted.
From an informal poll of the audience, on the industry side, some companies told the general that they are already using generative AI and large language models internally in developing their responses to RFPs or with their own suppliers.
We are on the precipice today with the tool sets in hand, with large language models and generative AI, that I think will revolutionize not only the business that we are in, but how we conduct business.
In one step further, several companies reported that they had already used generative AI in the development of a proposal in response to an RFP from PEO Cyber and Networks.
“Three months ago, maybe even two months ago, nobody raised their hand at that second question,” the PEO shared. “There is more of you now. That is the point I am trying to make, that this is here, and it is now. And if I do not have an entire workforce that is ready for that, [that is not good].”
For the greater Air Force, the potential from the use of AI in the solicitation process may be invaluable, and the general is happy to blaze a trail to effectiveness. “Our directorate, I feel, is on the forefront of this for Air Force acquisition…in bringing AI to the table,” Genatempo said.
In addition, the PEO also reminded industry to interact more with the office.
“We have amped up our participation, from a [conference] and booth perspective,” Genatempo said. “We have a physical presence at each of these events that you and your folks are attending throughout the country. And I have an open door. If you have questions, I’d like you to reach out to us. If you have something you would like to come talk about, reach out to us.”
“In my opinion, in my 33 years in Air Force acquisition, we are here, right now, and I cannot wait to see what unfolds itself tomorrow,” the general concluded.
