Winning the National Security AI Competition: A Practical Guide for Government and Industry Leaders

In introducing the National Security Commission on AI’s final report, Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, and Robert Work, former Deputy Secretary of Defense, wrote: “The human talent deficit is the government’s most conspicuous AI deficit and the single greatest inhibitor to buying, building, and fielding AI-enabled technologies for national security purposes.” Drawing upon three decades of leading hundreds of advanced analytics and AI programs and projects in government and industry, Chris Whitlock and Frank Strickland address in this book the primary variable in the talent deficit, i.e., large numbers of qualified AI leaders.

The book quickly moves from a case for action to leadership principles and practices for effectively integrating AI into programs and driving results in AI projects. The chapters convey 37 axioms – enduring truths for developing and deploying AI – and over 100 leader practices set among 50 cases and examples, 40 of which focus on AI in national security. Emphasizing its impact and practical nature, LTG (ret.) Ken Tovo, former commander of U.S. Army special forces, characterized the book as “the Ranger Handbook for AI implementation!”

Whether you are a senior or mid-level leader who lacks hands-on experience with AI, or an AI practitioner who lacks leadership experience, this book will equip you to lead AI programs, projects, people, and technology. As the Honorable Robert Work wrote in the foreword: “This book is not the last word on leading AI in the national security enterprise, but I believe it is an essential starting point.”

You will:

• Review axioms or enduring truths at work in six dimensions of AI: program, budget, project, data science, people, and technology
• Apply best practices―such as decision frameworks, processes, checklists―for leading work in each of the six dimensions.
• See how the axioms and best practices are contextualized to national security missions.