GDIT’s Amy Gilliland Champions AI to Empower Employees

In a recent media roundtable, Amy Gilliland, President of General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), expressed her confidence in the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) for both the organization and its employees. While industry concerns about the effectiveness of AI technologies, particularly generative AI, continue to grow, Gilliland emphasized the role of AI as a tool to empower rather than replace the workforce.

GDIT is leveraging AI to facilitate internal job mobility, assisting employees in discovering new roles within the company. According to Gilliland, the company is exploring AI applications in coding and proposal processing, viewing these technologies as resources that can enhance employee productivity. “It’s early days,” Gilliland remarked, referring to the ongoing adoption of AI, which she believes cannot yet be evaluated through traditional metrics like return on investment (ROI).

AI Education Takes Priority

In light of a recent MIT study that revealed that 95 percent of companies reported receiving “zero return” on their investments in generative AI by June 2023, Gilliland maintained that it is premature to apply such frameworks. She stated, “Right now, the battle that we are waging is education: It is about understanding what AI can do for you.” GDIT is focusing on customizing large language models (LLMs) to fit its environment and identifying practical use cases.

Notably, Gilliland highlighted the increasing enthusiasm among employees to utilize AI for repetitive coding tasks. The goal is for LLMs to handle routine coding, allowing human workers to concentrate on more complex and engaging projects. “They don’t want to eat the broccoli, they just want to have dessert,” she humorously noted.

Beyond coding, Gilliland identified LLMs as valuable tools for drafting proposals. They can expedite the analysis of extensive government documents and assist in identifying comparable past projects. “We bid on over a thousand opportunities every year,” she explained, noting that while AI may initiate the process, human oversight remains essential to ensure accuracy.

New Facility to Enhance AI Exploration

GDIT’s commitment to AI was further underscored by the unveiling of the “Mission Emerge Center,” located just outside of Washington, D.C. This 5,000-square-foot facility serves as a demonstration space for GDIT executives and technical personnel to showcase new AI technologies to potential government clients. During the roundtable, attendees observed AI-driven analyses of surveillance video and 3D mapping software.

The Mission Emerge Center operates in unclassified environments, allowing government customers to engage with the technology without the complications of securing their operational systems. Gilliland noted the proximity of the center to the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA), a significant client of GDIT that is actively seeking to expand its use of AI.

According to Gilliland, the integration of AI and collaborative environments like the Mission Emerge Center will enable the military to expedite technology upgrades. “Ukraine is teaching us something about that right now,” she stated, referencing the rapid adaptability of Ukrainian forces in utilizing technology effectively. This shift in pace is evident in GDIT’s interactions with military clients, where the expectation is no longer to return in a year, but rather in a matter of weeks for iterative feedback and improvements.

Gilliland described a transformative change in operational timelines, contrasting current practices with previous military protocols that demanded lengthy software deployment processes. “I’d like to get that while I’m underway. That is where we’re headed, and I think that’s where we need to be,” she concluded, emphasizing the importance of agility in the evolving landscape of defense technology.