ABOUT

Our Mission

MIT and the Department of the Air Force aim to create a state-of-the-art, end-to-end, sustainable pipeline for Artificial Intelligence technology to give the United States a competitive advantage in the defense and civilian sectors. The AI Accelerator leverages universities, small businesses, traditional defense, and non-traditional commercial ventures, collaborating with the Air Force and Space Force to develop and ensure the ethical use of AI technologies for society and the nation.

The AI Accelerator Story

In February 2019, the President of the United States signed Executive Order 13859 announcing the American AI Initiative—the nation’s strategy on Artificial Intelligence. He wrote, “Continued American leadership in Artificial Intelligence is of paramount importance to maintaining the economic and national security of the United States.”

The Department of the Air Force (DAF) subsequently signed a cooperative agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to jointly create an Artificial Intelligence Accelerator hosted at MIT. The effort, known as the DAF-MIT AI Accelerator, leverages the combined expertise and resources of MIT and the Department of the Air Force. The AI Accelerator conducts fundamental research to enable rapid prototyping, scaling, and the ethical application of AI algorithms and systems to advance both the Department of the Air Force and society in general.  A multidisciplinary team of embedded officers and enlisted Airmen join MIT faculty, researchers, and students to tackle some of the most difficult challenges facing our nation and the Department of the Air Force, ranging from the technical to the humanitarian.

In January of 2020, the AI Accelerator launched ten interdisciplinary projects, involving researchers from MIT Campus, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and the Department of the Air Force. The three-year projects, which encompass a total of 15 research workstreams, advance AI research in a broad range of areas, including weather modeling and visualization, optimization of training schedules, and autonomy for augmenting and amplifying human decision-making.

The AI Accelerator’s historic partnership embraces a robust and ongoing dialogue with America’s leading academics and technologists to help guide an AI future for the Department of Air Force that reflects our nation’s values.

AI Accelerator TEAM

Col Garry Floyd
Col Garry Floyd

Col Garry "Pink" Floyd, USAF

DAF Director

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1666657267111

Lt Col Chris Berardi, USAF

DAF Deputy Director

Lincoln Laboratory Co-Lead

Josh Voodoo Rountree

Maj Josh "Voodoo" Rountree, USAF

Director of Operations

Major Koley Borchard

Maj Koley Borchard, USAF

Chief Legal Counsel

Christian Prothmann

Christian Prothmann, MIT

MIT Program Director

Jeff Price

Jeffrey Price, NH-04, USAF

Director of Technology Management

Megan Muniz

Maj Megan Muniz, USAF

Chief Learning Officer

Nick Chisler

Lt Col Nick Chisler, USAF

Project Liaison

Eric Robinson

Maj Eric Robinson, USAF

Project Liaison

Stephanie Riley

Maj Stephanie Riley, USAF

Project Liaison

Jovan Popovich

Capt Jovan Popovich, USAF

Project Liaison

Kyle McAlpin

Maj Kyle "Gouge" McAlpin, USAF

Project Liaison

Nathaniel Maidel

MSgt Nathaniel Maidel, USAF

Project Liaison

Chasen Milner

MSgt Chasen Milner, USAF

Project Liaison

Michelle McGee

Capt Michelle McGee, USSF

Project Liaison

Garrett Fitzgerald

Capt Garrett Fitzgerald, USSF

Project Liaison

Andrew Pham

Capt Andrew Pham, USSF

Project Liaison

Ankrit Uprety

2nd Lt Ankrit Uprety, USAF

Phantom Program Manager

Adam Goobic

Lt Col Adam Goobic, USAF

IMA to the Director of the AI Accelerator

Josh Phifer

Lt Col Josh Phifer, USAF​

Director of Technology Development

Tyler Flansberg

Maj Tyler Flansburg, USAF

Chief of Agreements

Jonathan Hudgins

Maj Jonathan Hudgins, USAF

Chief of Technology Integration

Finn Kuusisto

1st Lt Finn Kuusisto, USAF

Lead AI Engineer

Alex De Fex

SMSgt Alex De Fex, USAF

Chief, Executive Support