Mark Munsell has been tapped to serve as chief AI officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the spy agency announced Tuesday.
The move comes amid a broader push from the US intelligence community and the Defense Department to bring more AI technologies on board. Last week, President Biden issued a new national security memorandum urging the Department of Defense and the IC to move faster in adopting these types of capabilities. Munsell was at the National Defense University where National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan rolled out the memo, according to a post on LinkedIn.
“NGA was instrumental in the development of the National Security Memo on Artificial Intelligence,” he wrote. “Congratulations to the National Security Council and the team who have worked so hard to establish a framework for the promotion and safe adoption of AI for the country.”
The agency has a number of major ongoing initiatives in artificial intelligence, including a high-profile effort known as Maven.
Last month, the organization unveiled plans to launch a $700 million data labeling project to advance computer vision models.
It previously launched an initiative called Accreditation of GEOINT AI Models (AGAIM) – which aims to set a new government standard for assessing the robustness and reliability of computer vision models deployed for national security purposes – and an educational tool called GEOINT Responsible AI Training. .
In his new role as CAIO, Munsell will be charged with overseeing, coordinating and integrating NGA’s current and future planned AI efforts in geospatial intelligence, advising leadership on the application of the technology to manufacturing and operations ; creating an inventory of AI initiatives and programs; recommending new initiatives; and establishing governance and responsible use of artificial intelligence, among other responsibilities, according to a press release.
He will also serve on the Intelligence Community’s CAIO Council, which is responsible for helping formulate the IC’s broader AI strategy; providing investment oversight for the implementation of that strategy; coordinating policy and procedural guidance in managing AI-related risks; promoting the use of business purchase agreements; making recommendations for the use and improvement of “AI-enabled” architectures; and increasing the “reliability, equity, integrity and resilience” of the technology, among other efforts, according to the release.
In addition to taking on the new job, he will take on a dual role leading NGA’s data and digital innovation directorate, a role he previously held.
Before taking on his current role, Munsell served as Deputy Director for Data and Digital Innovation, Chief Technology Officer and Deputy Director of the IT Directorate. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is also the founder of NGA’s Moonshot Labs.
The spy agency describes Moonshot Labs as an “unclassified innovation hub and collision space for NGA, its partners and customers to meet, create, collaborate and innovate.”
DefenseScoop reached out to an NGA spokesperson for more information about who previously held the CAIO role and where they were headed after leaving the position.
“There have been several people who have filled a number of roles, but he is the first to be publicly identified,” they said of Munsell.
Updated Oct 29, 2024 6:00 PM: This story has been updated with comment from an NGA spokesperson.
