Post by Stephanie R.D. Rotolo

Bad #intel can ruin your day (or night) every time. As a #SOF Cultural Support Team (CST) member, it was my role to help ensure the quality of real-time intelligence so resources went where they were needed, with what was needed, precisely when they were needed. In #Afghanistan, women and children often represented at least half of the occupants of any given compound. That meant a lot of tactical questioning and translating in the dark while dehydrated, at least a little bit hungry, and usually drenched in sweat. People were scared, angry, and experiencing all the emotions that come with having your door, or wall, blown in during the middle of the night. Not a good look when you get it wrong. Knowing whether we needed to be in this compound or the one next door was certainly not a matter of convenience. It directly impacted operational effectiveness, risk and ultimately people’s lives. AI will never replace tactical questioning, human judgment, local knowledge, or the information gathered through true boots on the ground engagement. The most important sensor in any operation remains the human being and our standard-issue five senses (generally refrain from using the “taste” sense in these scenarios, please). What quality #AI paired with quality #data can do is help us bracket the problem faster. It can reduce noise, surface relevant information and help decision-makers focus their attention where it matters most. Having spent some time kicking around a dry hole or two, I can definitely see the appeal. #SOF #tech #military #goarmy #intelligence #civmil #OSINT #decisionintelligence #artificialintelligence #specialoperations Defense Entrepreneurs Forum