The Speaker is: Stoney Trent, Ph.D.  Research Professor and Principal Advisor for Research and Innovation, Virginia Tech, USA

Abstract:  Recent successes and shortcomings of AI implementations have highlighted the importance of understanding how to design and interpret trustworthiness.  AI Assurance is becoming a popular objective for some stakeholders, however, assurance and trustworthiness are context sensitive concepts that rely not only on software performance and cybersecurity, but also on human-centered design.  This talk summarizes lessons from the stand up of the Defense Department’s Joint AI Center and offers recommendations for resilient AI engineering.  It also introduces a new program in the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative to create an “AI Commons” where technologists and non-technologists can collaborate to develop and demonstrate trustworthy AI.

Bio: Stoney is a Cognitive Engineer and Military Intelligence and Cyber Warfare veteran, who specializes in leading new interdisciplinary initiatives.  Prior to joining VT, Stoney designed and secured over $350M to stand up the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) for the Department of Defense.  As the Chief of Missions in the JAIC, Stoney established product lines to deliver human-centered AI to improve warfighting and business functions in the world’s largest bureaucracy.  Previously, he established and directed U.S. Cyber Command’s $50M applied research lab, which develops and assesses products for the Cyber Mission Force.  Stoney has served as a Strategic Policy Research Fellow with the RAND Arroyo Center and is a former Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science and Leadership at the United States Military Academy.   He has served in combat and stability operations in Iraq, Kosovo, Germany, and Korea.  Stoney is a graduate of the Army War College and former Cyber Fellow at the National Security Agency.