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AI Use Cases: State Department
The examples of how the US State Department is using artificial intelligence, deep learning, or neural networks are the following: the US Customs and Border Protection's AI-enhanced Global Travel Assessment System (GTAS) to address travel security; the Department of Homeland Security's AI-enabled CT scanning platform, the complete AI solutions application in the Office of the Science & Technology Adviser Initiatives' foreign policy creation, and the Department of Foreign Affair's AI chatbot's use in diplomatic communications.
AI Use Cases: State Department
The following are the AI use cases within the various divisions of the US State Department:
1. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) - Global Travel Assessment System(GTAS)
CBP, a division of the US State's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is in the process of developing an "AI-enhanced" entity resolution for its Global Travel Assessment System (GTAS)." This is to address the "UN Security Council Resolution 2178 on Foreign Terrorist Fighters." GTAS will be constructed as an open source system where standard air passengers' data such as "Advanced Passenger Information (API) and Passenger Name Record (PNR)" can be inputted and stored. Biometrics information can then be taken discretely from the API and PNR to check the air travelers' data versus the ones stored in the database. These data can then be consolidated over time to construct customized profiles of the air travelers. This will then allow for "real-time risk modeling."
2. DHS - Uncovering Concealed Items
Screening the luggage of air travelers is a tedious process that is prone to human-related errors. Given this, the DHS is collaborating with technology firms to create computed tomography (CT) scanning systems that can make determining the items inside an air travelers' baggage more automatic. The scanning system will make use of flexible machine learning neural networks that can address developing threats. DHS has also partnered with Google to hold a $1.5 million competition that can identify more technology that can be used to identify concealed luggage items.
3. Office of the Science & Technology Adviser Initiatives (STAS)
Science and technology (S&T) concepts are crucial in several areas of the U.S. diplomacy process. The pace of the progress in this field can be daunting for policy authors to keep up with. Given this, the STAS partnered with the S&T heads of domestic and international organizations to know more about the influence of upcoming technological development. As an example, STAS is communicating with the "U.S. National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine" and other entities to collaborate more with the academic community and the private sector. Based on these dialogues, senior heads can be made aware of the problems that are brewing where S&T and diplomacy intersect. By combining the expertise of the external S&T groups in upcoming technologies such as "computational propaganda, neurotechnology, synthetic biology, blockchain, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and other related concepts, STAS can be well-equipped to create better foreign policies. STAS and its collaborators can generate insights from these AI applications to make prompt diplomatic decisions.
4. The Foreign Affairs Department
The Foreign Affairs division of the US State Department is involved in developing an AI chatbot that will be honed to memorize a series of typical press releases and spokesperson's words. The chatbot can then be tasked to respond to standard questions on the foreign policies of the country in order to make the process more efficient.