The Cost of AI

Traditional budgeting plans for developing, training, and deploying the latest applications. However, these factors may generalize the cost of long-term sustainment and transformation needed for agile adaptation to technology disruptions. When planning for an artificial intelligence (AI) solution, disruption should be an expected cost driver throughout its lifecycle. The increasing interconnectivity of the rapidly growing enterprise AI ecosystem further complicates estimates of the cost of AI solutions. Responding to disruption for one AI solution may require coevolution of connected solutions. AI underpins the advancement of future combat and integrated defense capabilities. Failure to incorporate and keep pace with AI solutions places our warfighters at risk as our adversaries adapt to the continuously changing technology landscape. A systems perspective considers how our responses to disruption affect the costs of AI in relation to the mission, the warfighter, and sustainment. This discussion organizes views about AI cost drivers and the nuances characterizing them. We will cover disruption scenarios and how to improve the effectiveness of budgeting AI to sustain funding for mission readiness.