Arlington, Va. – Today, the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) released a new white paper, Accelerating and Improving Decision Making: A Vision for Agentic AI in U.S. Defense‑Industrial Collaboration, outlining how the next generation of artificial intelligence known as Agentic AI could fundamentally transform how the Pentagon collaborates with the defense industrial base to meet national security challenges.
The piece outlines how growing complexity in global supply chains, acquisition processes, and technological innovation is straining traditional, human‑centric decision‑making systems. Agentic AI — proactive, goal‑oriented systems capable of planning, acting, and adapting with human oversight — offers a powerful opportunity to reduce administrative burdens, accelerate timelines, and improve strategic outcomes across the defense ecosystem.
“The future of defense decision-making is goal-oriented and proactive AI,” said Tim White, AIA Vice President of Engineering and Technology. “It is a collaborative model in which humans remain in control, empowered by AI systems that operate as trusted partners. Agentic AI is about augmenting human capabilities and judgment and giving leaders better insight and focus on the decisions that matter most.”
Key findings from the white paper:
- Streamlined Acquisition and Procurement: AI agents could automate labor‑intensive steps such as vendor identification, draft Request for Proposal (RFP) development, compliance checks, and proposal analysis — significantly reducing acquisition timelines and costs.
- Predictive Supply Chain Resilience: By continuously monitoring logistics data, geopolitical developments, and external risk indicators, Agentic AI could anticipate disruptions before they occur and proactively recommend alternative suppliers or routes.
- Enhanced Quality Assurance: Agentic AI could rapidly review technical documentation, inspection records, and certifications, reducing errors and enabling quality control professionals to focus on higher‑value work while improving overall product reliability.
- Accelerated Research, Development, and Transition: AI agents could help bridge the “valley of death” by connecting government labs, industry partners, and academic research—translating technical findings into actionable insights for decision‑makers.
- Dynamic Strategic Planning: AI agents could support real‑time scenario modeling and resource allocation, enabling leaders to test “what‑if” scenarios and make data‑informed decisions in a rapidly evolving global environment.
The white paper emphasizes that successful adoption of Agentic AI must be grounded in strong governance. Clear accountability, transparent decision processes, rigorous validation, and adherence to existing federal AI and cybersecurity frameworks will ensure systems are deployed responsibly and securely.
The full white paper is available here.
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