{"669067":{"#nid":"669067","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Phoenix Challenge: Collaborating to Improve the Information Environment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EGenerative AI has captured worldwide attention for its potential applications in such areas as disease diagnosis, data analysis, writing, and computer coding. But at a recent meeting held at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in Atlanta, attendees were concerned about how very different applications of AI may be affecting critical operations in the information environment (OIE).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENearly 250 attendees from more than 200 government, academic, and industry organizations convened at the Phoenix Challenge June 20-23 to discuss how misinformation, disinformation, and the propagation of bad information may affect the world \u2013 and how organizations across those three sectors can work together to address growing concerns about the effects of what\u2019s happening in this arena. Although AI was among the top concerns, there were many other issues on the agenda.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe conference was organized for the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy (OUSDP) by GTRI, the University of Maryland Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS), and the Information Professionals Association.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe June Phoenix Challenge conference was part of a series of events designed to promote collaboration on efforts ranging from research and acquisition to operational planning and execution, with goals of reducing enterprise ambiguity in the Department of Defense, promoting awareness, and exchanging information. Recommendations coming out of the meeting\u2019s working groups are being briefed to appropriate offices in the Department of Defense and other agencies.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThe idea for the Phoenix Challenge is to create a watering hole where everyone can participate with equal standing,\u201d said Austin Branch, professor of the practice at ARLIS, which is funded by the OUSDP to convene the Phoenix Challenge events. \u201cBy bringing these communities together, government can enjoy additional critical thinking and testing of ideas, offering new concepts, technologies, and methodological approaches in an environment that\u2019s collaborative and includes everyone.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EOIE \u2013 a discipline that in years past was known as information warfare \u2013 can include such topics as electronic warfare, cyber operations, military deception, and psychological operations in a broad cognitive security space. \u201cThe Phoenix Challenge is a recognized platform for collaboration and sharing, in both technical and non-technical areas, and in the hard sciences and soft sciences,\u201d Branch said. \u201cParticipants have to be prepared to work because we\u2019re working on solutions, and there is a sense of mutual accountability.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EBeyond the recommendations to the government, participants from industry and academic communities benefit from obtaining a better understanding of the government\u2019s needs, plans, and concerns.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cHere, we can have everybody concentrated and focused, with a great value proposition in being able to reduce ambiguity about what the requirements are and for the government to articulate what the needs are, then allow this broader enterprise to work on those things,\u201d Branch added.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAt the Atlanta meeting, there were three panel discussions, including one on generative AI, which has both positive and negative implications for the world\u2019s information environment.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cThis technology is going to have an enormous impact on us going forward,\u201d said Theresa Kessler, a GTRI research scientist who was among the Atlanta event\u2019s organizers. \u201cAI and machine learning tools can make the OIE challenges worse, or be used to make them better. There\u2019s also a cybersecurity component and the human element of how people can be so accepting of bad information.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe goals of the Phoenix Challenge include much more than identifying the issues. Attendees participated in six working groups organized to highlight potential solutions and make recommendations to be considered by the government. And those making the recommendations are expected to play a role in carrying them out.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u201cUltimately, the goal is to affect the national defense strategy, with these output products, recommendations that the working groups built,\u201d Kessler explained. \u201cWe had a huge representation of industry partners, along with academic participants, including multiple universities, University Affiliated Research Centers (UARCs), and Federally-Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). Each of our working groups had a representation from industry, government, and academia.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThat broad representation helped provide a perspective not limited to a single constituency, she said. \u201cThe working groups were designed and facilitated in a way that everybody\u2019s opinion was pulled in and valued. Involving all these different groups provides a more holistic presentation of the problem and the solution set.\u201d\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EIn addition to a classified working group, the breakout sessions focused on:\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EInputs to the R\u0026amp;D Roadmap for OIE Technologies.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EDetection and Beyond: Implementing Effective Technological Solutions to Emerging OIE Threats.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EApplied Research: Assessments.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EStrategy for Operations in the Information Environment (SOIE) Implementation Plan Framework.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EResilience to Adversary Disinformation.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EAmong the conference speakers were: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ETodd Breasseale (Deputy Assistant to the Secretary for Public Affairs, Office of Information Operations Policy).\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ELtGen (R) Dennis Crall, USMC.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EHeidi Shyu, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R\u0026amp;E)), who addressed the conference virtually.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENeill Tipton, Director for Defense Intelligence, Collection and Special Programs.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EThe June Phoenix Challenge event was the first hosted by GTRI, but the event has a long history, beginning decades ago and including recent meetings in London and Charleston, South Carolina. In 2022, GTRI hosted an Information Warfare Summit on its Atlanta campus, but elected to join forces with the Phoenix Challenge in 2023. The next event is likely to be held in the Washington, D.C., area during 2024.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter: John Toon (john.toon@gtri.gatech.edu)\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGTRI Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGeorgia Tech Research Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nAtlanta, Georgia\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).\u202fFounded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $800 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry.\u202fGTRI\u0027s renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003ENearly 250 attendees from more than 200 government, academic, and industry organizations convened at the Phoenix Challenge June 20-23 to discuss how misinformation, disinformation, and the propagation of bad information may affect the world \u2013 and how organizations across those three sectors can work together to address growing concerns about the effects of what\u2019s happening in this arena. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The 2023 the Phoenix Challenge held at the Georgia Tech Research Institute was an opportunity for government, academic, and industry organizations to discuss and discover how different applications of AI may be affecting critical operations."}],"uid":"35832","created_gmt":"2023-08-21 15:06:49","changed_gmt":"2023-08-21 15:31:32","author":"Michelle Gowdy","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-08-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"671444":{"id":"671444","type":"image","title":"2023 Phoenix Challenge: USG Leader Panel at GTRI","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe USG Leader Panel discussed\u0026nbsp;frameworks for competition in the information environment. The panel moderator was Elizabeth Chamberlain, (SES) A2A6. Panel participants were: RDML Mike Brown, OPNAV \/ N2N6 (SES), Russ Meade, Executive Director, Marine Corps Information Command, Col. John Agnello, Director, Army Information Advantage Program Office, Daniel Kimmage, Principal Deputy Coordinator at the Department of State Global Engagement Center, and Joe Miller, Deputy USASOC. (Credit: Christopher Moore, GTRI)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1692629604","gmt_created":"2023-08-21 14:53:24","changed":"1692630385","gmt_changed":"2023-08-21 15:06:25","alt":"2023 Phoenix Challenge: USG Leader Panel at GTRI","file":{"fid":"254504","name":"2023_0628_image_DO_Phoenix challenge_063-panel.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/08\/21\/2023_0628_image_DO_Phoenix%20challenge_063-panel.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/08\/21\/2023_0628_image_DO_Phoenix%20challenge_063-panel.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2133727,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/08\/21\/2023_0628_image_DO_Phoenix%20challenge_063-panel.jpg?itok=_CDZ86D0"}},"671443":{"id":"671443","type":"image","title":"2023 Phoenix Challenge at GTRI","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENearly 250 attendees from more than 200 government, academic, and industry organizations convened at the Phoenix Challenge conference at the Georgia Tech Research Institute in June 2023. (Credit: Christopher Moore, GTRI)\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1692629308","gmt_created":"2023-08-21 14:48:28","changed":"1692629417","gmt_changed":"2023-08-21 14:50:17","alt":"2023 Phoenix Challenge at GTRI","file":{"fid":"254503","name":"2023_0628_image_DO_Phoenix challenge_019-lobby.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/08\/21\/2023_0628_image_DO_Phoenix%20challenge_019-lobby.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/08\/21\/2023_0628_image_DO_Phoenix%20challenge_019-lobby.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1564570,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/08\/21\/2023_0628_image_DO_Phoenix%20challenge_019-lobby.jpg?itok=gGlxSGCg"}}},"media_ids":["671444","671443"],"groups":[{"id":"1276","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"}],"keywords":[{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"166902","name":"science and technology"},{"id":"192965","name":"Phoenix Challenge"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"192390","name":"generative AI"},{"id":"2556","name":"artificial intelligence"},{"id":"8246","name":"Department of Defense"},{"id":"1404","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"192966","name":"information environment"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"145171","name":"Cybersecurity"},{"id":"39481","name":"National Security"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E(Interim) Director of Communications\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle Gowdy\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003EMichelle.Gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E404-407-8060\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["michelle.gowdy@gtri.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}