AI on DARPA’s List

The mission of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is to make strategic, early investments in science and technology that will have long-term positive impact on our nation's national security.

In support of this mission, DARPA has pioneered groundbreaking research and development (R&D) in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for more than five decades. DARPA continues to lead innovation in AI research through a large, diverse portfolio of fundamental and applied R&D AI programs aimed at shaping a future for AI technology where machines may serve as trusted and collaborative partners in solving problems of importance to national security. The AI Exploration (AIE) program is one key element of DARPA's broader AI investment strategy that will help ensure the U.S. maintains a technological advantage in this critical area.

Past DARPA AI investments facilitated the advancement of "first wave" (rule based) and "second wave" (statistical learning based) AI technologies. DARPA-funded R&D enabled some of the first successes in AI, such as expert systems and search, and more recently has advanced machine learning algorithms and hardware. DARPA is now interested in researching and developing "third wave" AI theory and applications that address the limitations of first and second wave technologies.

The pace of discovery in AI science and technology is accelerating worldwide. AIE will enable DARPA to fund pioneering AI research to discover new areas where R&D programs awarded through this new approach may be able to advance the state of the art. AIE will enable DARPA to go from idea inception to exploration in fewer than 90 days.

To enable this approach, DARPA will issue AIE Opportunities. These AIE Opportunities will focus on technical domains important to DARPA's goals in pursuing disruptive third wave AI research concepts.

More information about DARPA's current AI technical domains and research topics of interest may be found on www.darpa.mil under individual offices opportunities page.