2019 Seminars
Led by
Monday, June 24, 2019 | 9:00 am – 12:30 pm
Atrium Ballroom A
Seminar: State of the Practice of Machine Learning and Deep Learning for the Public Sector
Chairs:
Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Kathleen Walch, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Seminar Description: Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) are transforming the way we work, live, and interact with each other. The emergence of these cognitive technologies are transforming the
way public sector agencies and citizens interact with each other. But putting AI, ML, and DL into practice and getting beyond the buzzwords is a challenge. This seminar focuses on providing attendees with a current state of the ML and DL markets,
and will discuss the state of the practice with real use cases and methodologies to make AI projects a tangible success for public and private sector organizations.
Attendees will learn:
- How to dispel popular myths about intelligent automation and learning systems
- About your AI options, who are the players, and what are the key technologies
- From world-class machine learning experts who are developing innovative public sector applications today
- Insights into what makes AI projects a success across a wide range of agencies
- A roadmap for successful AI adoption within their agency or enterprise, and
- About emerging cognitive automation and intelligent automation approaches
8:00 am - 6:30 pm Registration Opens
8:00 Morning Coffee & Pastries
9:00 The Myths, Realities, & Future of AI
Speakers: Kathleen Walch, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
While artificial intelligence has been around for decades, it’s only recently that machine learning, deep learning, and other cognitive technologies are at the point where they can be practically realized by organizations. This session sets the
bar for what AI represents today and provides definitions and level-setting of terminology. We bust some myths about AI, point to real-world applications of AI in large scale implementations, and explore how AI will impact our future illustrating
what an AI-enabled future will look like.
The key takeaway of this seminar is a self-assessment for an AI Project Fit. Attendees will learn:
- How to dispel the myths around Artificial Intelligence
- The 4-Part AI-enabled vision of the future
- Cognitive technologies and their impact on government agencies
- The new realities of our cognitive technology future
- Matching AI vision to reality
9:30 A Roadmap for Successful AI Adoption
Speakers: Kathleen Walch, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Organizations of all types want to incorporate AI, machine learning, and cognitive technologies into their operations and processes to augment human workers, increase efficiencies, reduce costs, and achieve the goals of more intelligent systems. But,
figuring out how to successfully run an AI project can be daunting. This session will help attendees learn how to successfully identify key problem areas that AI technologies can address, the six primary adoption patterns for AI and cognitive technologies
with use cases for each pattern, as well as iterative approaches to AI implementation. At the end of the session, attendees will leave with an AI Implementation Roadmap to help successfully start and complete your adoption of AI projects.
The key takeaway of this session is to provide you with a self-assessment of your AI implementation roadmap. Attendees will learn:
- The six primary adoption patterns for AI and cognitive technologies
- Iterative approaches
- How to deal with AI threats
10:00 Networking Break (Atrium Ballroom Foyer)
10:30 Panel: State of the Practice of Intelligent Automation in Government
Bots aren’t just physical - they can be software as well. AI-powered software bots are doing everything from tedious entry of data to more sophisticated multi-step processes that have previously required significant human labor. In this panel discussion,
we hear the insights of several leaders in the emerging intelligent automation and cognitive automation space and hear first-hand how AI and machine learning are being applied to complex processes. Learn about Robotic Process Automation (RPA) solutions,
intelligent automation offerings, and emerging cognitive automation approaches, and how agencies and organizations of all types are using software bots to help automate various processes and tasks.
Moderator: John Moore,
Senior Site Editor, TechTarget
Panelists: Kathleen Walch, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Mitchell Winans, Special Assistant, Office of Procurement, U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Captain Michael Kanaan,
Co-Chair for Artificial Intelligence, Defense, U.S. Air Force
Tim Janssen, AI Governance Lead for Operations, National Security Agency
11:15 State of the Technology - AI Vendor Ecosystem
Speakers: Kathleen Walch, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Arti
Garg, Director, Emerging Markets & Technology, AI, Cray, Inc.
The vendor landscape for AI and machine learning technologies is getting very crowded with thousands of companies offering solutions, and new vendors emerging monthly. However, these vendors are offering a confusing array of solutions that can be a challenge
to understand for organizations looking to implement AI projects. In this session, we explore a rational classification system for AI vendors, how to evaluate AI vendors to meet the needs of various AI projects, and understand how the landscape is
developing over time.This session will present:
- A comprehensive classification of the AI vendor ecosystem
- The various infrastructural considerations for AI projects
- A proven process to help you choose the right vendor(s) for your project(s)
11:45 State of the Practice: AI Methodologies
Speakers: Kathleen Walch, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
Organizations and agencies are looking to put AI into practice, but the main challenge is that AI projects are not like typical application development projects. In this session, we will discuss best practices and approaches to manage AI projects, the
data-centric nature of AI solutions, and the specific requirements for particular AI implementation patterns. We will present a methodology that combines the best of Agile and CRISP-DM approaches, pitfalls to watch out for with AI adoption while addressing
governance, transparency, and ethics concerns, and how to deal with emerging AI threats.
Attendees will learn an Agile/CRISP-DM methodology adapted for AI, including discussions on:
- Data-centric vs. application-centric AI approaches
- Learning from others: examples of AI projects at scale
- How to provide governance & transparency around AI, and how to establish an AI ethics process
- Healthcare needs (HIPAA, data protection/privacy and security) - What are the pitfalls in AI adoption?
- There is what’s known as the “Golden data” on threats available to train against
- Dealing with AI threats
12:15 Seminar Closing Remarks
Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner, Principal Analyst, Cognilytica
12:30 Enjoy Lunch on Your Own
Led by
Monday, June 24, 2019 | 1:30 – 5:00 pm
Atrium Ballroom A
Seminar: AI & Cybersecurity
Chair: Bob Gourley, Co-Founder and CTO, OODA LLC
Seminar Description: AI is being used today to improve the ability of organizations to defend themselves. It is also being used by adversaries seeking advantage. The age-old game of attack vs defense continues. But something is
different now. Organizations are finding that their AI solutions need special protections. AI needs to be developed in the most secure manner possible. Adversaries who can access training data can manipulate it to drive outcomes of machine learning.
Algorithms themselves must also be protected. Many AI solutions have been shown to be biased and/or bigoted. And in some cases, the solutions will generate results that are unexplainable, making security and compliance even more complicated.
1:30 pm Seminar Introduction: When AI Goes Wrong
Bob Gourley, Co-Founder and CTO, OODA LLC
1:50 Fireside Chat: AI for National Security Missions
Jason Matheny, PhD, Founding Director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Georgetown University
Bob Gourley, Co-Founder and CTO, OODA LLC
This session will include a 20-minute overview of how AI could affect defense and intelligence missions, followed by a fireside chat between Bob Gourley and Jason Matheny.
2:15 AI in Government IT
David Bottom, CIO, Intelligence and Analysis Office, US Department of Homeland Security
2:40 Panel: AI in DoD and the IC
In this session noted experts in practical AI will continue our examination of AI for national security, this time with a focus on how real world commercial solutions can be used today to optimize outcomes for DoD and the
IC.
Moderator: Bob Gourley, Co-Founder and CTO, OODA LLC
Panelists:
Lewis Shepherd, Senior Director, National Technology Strategy, R&D, VMware Research
Justin Fier, Director of Cyber Intelligence and Analytics, Darktrace
Todd G Myers, Automation
Lead, CIO-T, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
Teresa Smetzer, CEO, Smetzer Associates LLC and former Director of Digital Futures, CIA
3:15 Networking Break in the Exhibit Hall (Atrium)
3:50 Panel: AI, Automation, and the Challenges of Misinformation and Disinformation
Humans may look back at our era and determine collectively our exponential era wasn’t ready for AI and the Internet’s impacts on how we interact as societies and how we share information. Participants will consider basic human rights in
our digital era – and the challenges of confirmation biases, cognitive easing, and other concerns that give rise to the spread of misinformation out of context and other disruptive influence that polarize and create ‘social wedges’
impacting human communities and organizations. Looking towards the future, this talk identifies ways for open, pluralistic societies to overcome the challenges of us humans now connected globally without succumbing to surveillance capitalism,
surveillance states, or censored societies that erode basic human rights associated with our pluralistic communities. President Lincoln is recorded as having said “I do not like that man. I must get to know him better” – which
when applied to the 21st century means that all of us must find ways to engage with empathy, grace, and understanding for our digital future ahead.
Moderator: David Bray, PhD, Executive Director, People-Centered Internet Coalition; Senior Fellow, Institute for Human-Machine Cognition
Panelists: Brett Horvath, President, Guardians.ai
Sara-Jayne Terp, Data Scientist, Bodacea Light Industries
Jen Sovada, Chief
of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Talent Management, US Air Force
4:20 Using Machine Learning to Detect Insider Threats
David Noever, PhD, Senior Technical Fellow, PeopleTec, Inc.
To detect a trusted individual who might do malicious things with authorized credentials has been classified as one of the toughest and most costly cybersecurity problems. Even accidental incidents generate average damages of millions per year
for small organizations. This talk will demonstrate some machine learning approaches to solve classically challenging insider threats, including re-discovering Enron fraud instances from email only and finding leakers or saboteurs before they
act.
4:45 AI & Cybersecurity in the Public Sector Call to Action
Bob Gourley, Co-Founder and CTO, OODA LLC
David Bray, PhD, Executive Director, People-Centered Internet Coalition; Senior Fellow, Institute for Human-Machine Cognition
Our exponential era is creating ripple effects that impact how we co-exist as communities and societies. Exponential changes require organizations intentionally to design how they operate using AI to decrease the time required to bounce back from
unforeseen events. Our exponentially changing world is putting more people online and connecting more devices daily, which also makes it nearly impossible to forecast exactly how many new risks and potential vulnerabilities are being created
in the process. This closing call to action will focus on how each of us can be positive #ChangeAgents to respond quickly to a variety of events that may not typically fall under the domain of security, yet still require a prompt response
to be resilient. For the future ahead, it is important to address the various challenges that will multiply with AI alongside the Internet of Everything, as well as consider how the public and private sectors must build bridges to develop
resiliency for the Internet with academia, nonprofits, and the general public.
4:45 Seminar Closing Remarks
Bob Gourley, Co-Founder and CTO, OODA LLC
5:00 Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall (Atrium)
6:00 Attendee Roundtable Discussions (Atrium Ballroom B)
6:00 Meetup Groups
7:30 Close of Day
Led by
Monday, June 24, 2019 | 1:30 – 5:00 pm
Atrium Ballroom B
Seminar: Conversational Interfaces - State of the Practice of Intelligent Assistants
Chair: William Meisel, PhD, President, TMA Associates
Seminar Description: Speech recognition and natural language processing technology allows interacting with digital systems using human language in text or speech. An organization can use the technology to improve customer service,
not only in the call center, but through chatbots on web sites, apps on mobile phones, messaging services, home speakers, through the major personal assistants, and more. The technology can also make personnel more effective within organizations
in tasks such as using software systems or on-the-job training. This seminar discusses innovative applications deployed by agencies and the tools available to help develop conversational solutions and practices that make those solutions effective.
1:30 pm The State of the Practice in Intelligent Assistants
William Meisel, PhD, President, TMA Associates
The AI technology behind talking and texting with computer applications using human language (“natural language understanding”) has matured. Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant exemplify the advanced use of this technology, but
companies are increasingly using more limited versions to help both customers and employees.
This session will present the state of the technology, how some companies are taking advantage of it, and tools that help deploy company-specific intelligent assistants without a research project. Topics covered include:
- The state of speech recognition and natural language processing technology
- Examples of deployed digital assistants and their effectiveness
- Available tools for building customer service chatbots and automated assistants
- Available tools for building employee support applications ("Augmented Intelligence")
- Other applications for today’s natural language processing
- Trends in intelligent assistants
2:15 Applying Conversational Data to Public Sector Applications
Ian Beaver, PhD, Lead Research Engineer, Intelligent Self Service, Verint
In this talk, the benefits of conversational self-service for several government agencies over the last 13 years are highlighted, as well as the positive effect that anonymous communication with autonomous agents can have on users. By providing
conversational self-service options, users can find answers to sensitive questions without fear of judgment and agencies can collect more holistic feedback on what users really want to know from them.
3:00 Networking Break in the Exhibit Hall (Atrium)
3:40 Power to the People: How AI is Transforming the Ways we Interact with Government Organizations
Eduardo Olvera, Director of User Experience, Nuance Communications
By 2020, Gartner predicts that 85% of customer relationships with companies will be managed without human contact. This desire to “self-serve” rings true with government agencies and municipalities already deploying AI-powered natural language understanding (NLU) solutions to interact with their constituents via virtual assistants, live chats, conversational IVR systems and more. This session will address:
4:15 Opportunity Knowledge Mining – An Untapped Force Multiplier
Kevin Tupper, Data & AI Technology Specialist, Microsoft
The benefits of working with data to enable better communications amongst personnel. Going beyond the static frequently asked questions (FAQ) type of document or laborious searches of scanned reports, what knowledge exists within agencies today that helps identify new topics, capture evolving interests, and anticipate future needs? How can this knowledge be surfaced and presented as a human interface?
4:45 Seminar Closing Remarks
William Meisel, PhD, President, TMA Associates
5:00 Welcome Reception in the Exhibit Hall (Atrium)
6:00 Attendee Roundtable Discussions (Atrium Ballroom B)
6:00 Meetup Groups
7:30 Close of Day