Kitware Secures $1.7 Million Contract from U.S. Department of Defense for Cutting-Edge AI Testing Software, Showcasing Leadership in Explainable AI
Kitware’s new AI testing software will ideally be used across the DoD, reflecting the growing need for explainable AI solutions
Clifton Park, N.Y. (December 19, 2023) – Kitware, a leader in developing software for ethical and explainable AI, has been awarded a $1.7 million contract to help build open source test and evaluation (T&E) software tools for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). This effort will result in an open source software package that can effectively test and evaluate AI algorithms. Ideally, this technology will be applicable across the DoD for T&E of different computer vision models.
This award is the result of Kitware’s renowned expertise in ethical and explainable AI. In 2017, Kitware was a participant in the original DARPA Explainable AI (XAI) effort, which enabled users to better understand, trust, and manage AI systems. The success of that program led to a 1-year follow-on effort which allowed Kitware to build the first version of the Explainable AI Toolkit (XAITK), an open source toolkit that generates explanations of how machine learning models work. XAITK is free and available for public use so anyone can build trust in their AI technology.
Under this new effort, Kitware’s team will be responsible for creating software that enables the generation of synthetic imagery based on different camera sensor settings. This will allow the team to produce realistic imagery that can be used to test the ability of the AI model to adjust to changes in the environment. “Imagine a satellite sensor that is designed to capture overhead imagery at a fixed focal length, controlling the field of view and magnification,” explains Brian Hu, Ph.D., staff R&D engineer at Kitware and the project lead for this effort. “Our proposed tool would help a T&E engineer understand how small changes in the focal length may impact the ability of an AI model to detect objects from the resulting satellite images.”
Kitware is proud to have a reputation for developing quality open source software and paying great attention to detail. The company is committed to advancing ethical and explainable AI and looks forward to participating in this project and future related endeavors. Read more about how explainable AI helps you trust your AI algorithms by reading our blog article, “Relying on AI for Ethical Decisions.”
About Kitware
Kitware delivers innovation to its customers. As a software research and development company, Kitware solves the world’s most complex scientific challenges using custom software solutions built on open source technology. In addition to custom software development, the company also offers technical support and training services to anyone using its open source tools. Since its founding in 1998, Kitware has developed a reputation for its unparalleled technical expertise and excellent customer service. The company is proud to be 100% employee-owned. For additional information, visit kitware.com or follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Disclaimers
This effort is sponsored by the U.S. Government under the Tradewind Project Agreement. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation thereon. The views and conclusions contained herein are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as necessarily representing the official policies or endorsements, either expressed or implied, of the U.S. Government.