Weekly GEOINT Community News

Raytheon Developing Self-Explaining AI System

Raytheon is developing an artificially intelligent neural network capable of explaining its suggestions. The Explainable Question Answering System (EQUAS), created under the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s (DARPA) Explainable AI program, aims to help human users understand, trust, and appropriately manage the emerging generation of artificially intelligent tools. EQUAS will use a graphical interface to show users which data mattered most in the AI’s decision-making process.

DARPA AI Exploration Program Seeks Automated Knowledge Extraction

DARPA recently issued an artificial intelligence exploration opportunity called Automating Scientific Knowledge Extraction, inviting industry to submit innovative concepts for automated knowledge extraction and application systems. The program focuses on two technical areas: machine-assisted curation; and machine-assisted inference. DARPA will award up to $1 million through an other transaction agreement to a vendor developing a knowledge extraction system prototype. Proposals are due Sept. 17.

Carahsoft to Offer NVIDIA GPU Technology

Carahsoft announced a partnership with NVIDIA to offer the company’s programmable graphics processing units (GPUs) and other AI-first technologies through Carahsoft’s NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement Contract. NVIDIA technology is complementary to numerous applications already available through Carahsoft, including virtualization, AI, simulation, analysis, virtual reality, training, cloud, cyber, and GIS. Through this agreement, Carahsoft will offer NVIDIA Virtual GPU Software, DGX Systems, and Tesla GPUs to its government customers, tech vendors, integrators, and reseller partners.

BAE Wins Naval Tech Support Contract

BAE Systems was awarded a potential five-year, $83.5 million contract to help the U.S. Navy manage integrated command, control, communications, computers, combat, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR) systems. The company will also maintain, update, and provide logistics services in support of the Navy’s special communications mission solutions division.

AWS Launches Public Partner Transformation Program

Amazon Web Services announced the debut of the Public Sector Partner Transformation Program: 110 Days to Transformation, an initiative offering training and assessment to help public sector partners build successful AWS Cloud businesses. The two-phase program includes an assessment of organizational cloud readiness and a customized action plan providing a blueprint of activities that will help partners achieve their goals.

ICEYE to Launch Satellites Via ECM Space

ICEYE announced ECM Space as a new launch partner. The company will launch two or more ICEYE Synthetic Aperture Radar satellites into different orbits by the end of 2019. As part of the longer-term agreement, ECM Space will provide launch arrangements to ICEYE as the company continues to develop its initial 18-satellite constellation.

Photo Credit: ECM Space