Wittman Delivers Remarks on Accelerating Autonomy Technology Deployment Within DoD at Applied Intuition, Atlantic Council Nexus 23 Symposium
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Rob Wittman (VA-01), Vice Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, participated in a discussion with Applied Intuition and Atlantic Council at the Nexus 23 Symposium. During his discussion, Congressman Wittman emphasized the importance of autonomous technology and systems in U.S. military operations, competing with the Chinese Communist Party, as well as Congress' role in supporting autonomous technology adoption within the Department of Defense (DoD).
"Autonomous technology deployment across the DoD will provide our warfighters with the competitive edge they need over our adversaries, most notably the Chinese Communist Party. We do not have decades to bring autonomous systems to the required levels to address the threats we face – the implementation of this technology in our defense operations will require an all-hands-on-deck approach between DoD, industry partners, and Congress that moves at the speed of relevance. Autonomy will be a crucial element in the future of our national defense, and we must develop, test, and deploy it at the rate of which is required to dominate the strategic capabilities stage.
"I'm grateful to Applied Intuition and Atlantic Council for the opportunity to speak at the Nexus 23 Symposium. I will continue to work to ensure our servicemembers have the technology and training they need to outpace our adversaries and defend the interests of the U.S. and our allies."
Last week, Congressman Wittman, alongside Congressman Ruppersberger (MD-02), introduced the bipartisan H.R.3168 – Autonomous Systems Adoption and Policy (ASAP) Act. The ASAP Act will establish a Joint Autonomy Office (JAO) at the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) at the Department of Defense (DoD) to accelerate the development and delivery of autonomy technology and programs for United States military operations. To read the full text of the ASAP Act, click the attached file.
To view photos from today's symposium, click the attached images.