Today’s national security landscape is incredibly complex. As the Department of Homeland Security evolves to combat the wide array new threats posed by rapidly advancing technologies and extreme climate events, it has adopted a forward thinking approach focused on what DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology Dimitri Kusnezov called “over the horizon challenges.”
At the Potomac Officers Club’s 2024 Homeland Security Summit in November, DHS leaders and industry exports will dive into the intricacies of current and future national security issues. This engagement is part of a series of annual summits, and last year’s iteration of the event covered a variety of relevant topics, including biometric technologies, public-private collaboration and more. Click here to learn more and register for the 2024 Homeland Security Summit.
DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate is leading the way as the department builds a foundation to continue protecting the nation in a constantly shifting national security landscape. Keep reading for a look into three areas the agency is prioritizing as it lays the groundwork for future DHS efforts.
Artificial Intelligence
While AI is still relatively new to the U.S. government, DHS has identified a variety of use cases for which it could be transformational.
The department is cultivating relationships with small businesses to build an arsenal of cutting-edge AI technologies, and the S&T Directorate heads DHS’ Small Business Innovation Research Program efforts. One initiative under the SBIR program is a contract awarded to Vadum, Inc that covers the development of an AI tool that could determine if distress calls received by the Coast Guard are critical or a hoax.
Explosives detection is another use case for which AI holds potential, and the S&T Directorate has teamed with small businesses through its Next Generation Explosives Trace Detection Program, which was launched in 2020, to accelerate the development of AI and machine learning technologies that could streamline the process of adding newly identified compounds to DHS’ library of threat compounds.
Environmental Threats
Recent years have made it clear that extreme climate events are a major threat to U.S. national security, and the S&T Directorate plays a key role in addressing these challenges. During a February event hosted in partnership with the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration, NASA and the National Weather Service, 50 federal experts and first responders came together to workshop new operational strategies to handle intense weather scenarios.
The S&T Directorate is working on a variety of capabilities that could help mitigate these problems, including fire sensors and firefighter respirators, the National Emergency Response Information System and a coastal hazards forecasting technology for the state of Rhode Island.
Another environmental initiative S&T is engaged in is a collaborative research project with the University of Alaska Anchorage, which will lead the recently established ADAC-ARCTIC Center of Excellence. This center is designed to bring together many academic institutions and partners to study natural and man-made disasters, ice melt and communications infrastructure.
Emerging Technologies
Underpinning all of these efforts is a wide range of emerging technologies. The S&T Directorate is currently evaluating use cases that new technologies could support, including biotechnology, communications and cyber resiliency, advanced sensing and secure manufacturing, among many others.
S&T’s Remote Identity Validation Technology Demonstration program, which is studying new systems that could authenticate identity documents and self-taken photos, reached Track 3 in January, a step forward in one of S&T’s initiatives.
Another recent milestone was the completion of a prototype self-service screening system, which was developed in collaboration with the Transportation Security Administration. The system is designed to allow travelers to screen themselves at their own pace, and although this technology will still require oversight by Transportation Security Officers, it is expected to help accommodate the growing number of travelers.
Learn even more about DHS technology initiatives at the 2024 Homeland Security Summit. Click here to register.
