Conduit - Autumn 2023

CONDUIT

SERAPIS SIMULATION AND SYNTHETIC ENVIRONMENTS NEWSLETTER

ISSUE FIVE, AUTUMN 2023

INNOVATING INTELLIGENCE Serapis SSE embraces the age of AI

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SERAPIS SSE ENDEAVOURS HELP TO COUNTER AI-RELATED ANGST Had artificial intelligence already attained sentience, it would most likely wish it hadn’t.

Recent advances in the field have attracted an abundance of – predominantly – bad press, with tech commentators and industry insiders (the heads of Google Deepmind and OpenAI among them) quick to prophesize AI’s role in humanity’s enfeeblement and eventual demise.

Indeed, there are clear advantages to being an emotionless computer when AI is

described in articles as being a creator-inwaiting of devastating chemical weapons and future means of propping up and empowering rogue regimes would surely be bad for the synthetic soul.

AI is also unapologetically a recurring theme of this edition of Conduit, albeit with a refreshing focus on the technology as a force for good. Take, for example, the potential rewards it can deliver Defence through the refinement of military training – as identified by the team of researchers,

QINETIQ TRAINING & SIMULATION – SERAPIS SSE LEAD Web: qinetiq.com Email: Serapis_SSE@t-s.qinetiq.com Write: Cody Technology Park, Old Ively Road, Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0LX

drawn from across the Serapis SSE community of practice, working on Dstl’s DELTA [Delivering Education, Learning and Training Advances] project.

Similarly, the Lot’s ongoing contribution to the Autonomous Resilient Cyber Defence programme highlights AI’s ability to protect rather than harm humankind. As evidenced by these cases, the technology is evolving at pace – even if it hasn’t yet wrapped its microprocessing chips around being cognisant of experiences and emotions.

PUBLISHED BY TYLERBALE COMMUNICATIONS Email: info@tylerbale.co.uk Tel: 01252 714 870 Write: 10 Borelli Yard, Farnham, Surrey GU9 7NU Content © QinetiQ Training & Simulation 2023. All rights reserved.

Maturity at tempo is something all those associated with Serapis SSE should also be proud of. Much has been achieved in the four years since the creation of Lot 5, with the past 12 months alone delivering more than £13 million worth of tasked activity.

At the heart of this productivity remains the Community of Practice (COP) – a 96-strong mix of primes, small and mediumsized enterprises, academic organisations

and non-traditional defence suppliers that is serving as a force multiplier; which – led by QinetiQ Training & Simulation – augments Dstl’s in-house expertise with innovative thinking on the utility of synthetic environments, modelling and simulation.

As Serapis SSE programme director I am particularly proud of the sense of community that has been developed and the enduring commitment to the

96

£13,000,000

STRONG MEMBERSHIP

OF TASKED ACTIVITY OVER THE PAST YEAR

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MUCH HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN THE FOUR YEARS SINCE THE CREATION OF LOT 5, WITH THE PAST 12 MONTHS ALONE DELIVERING MORE THAN £13 MILLION WORTH OF TASKED ACTIVITY

cause demonstrated by members.

Despite competing demands on diaries, the most recent community of practice event attracted a record attendance with 80 present in person and a further 30 delegates joining proceedings virtually.

There was certainly no sign of ‘mission fatigue’ to be found with the overwhelming majority (more than 92 per cent) stating their intent to return to future events despite a few IT glitches. This rich repository of market-leading expertise has been hard built and it is reassuring to know that the COP will continue to consider, collaborate and create world-class battle-winning solutions for as long as the demand dictates.

I suspect it will be some considerable time yet before AI can come close to holding a candle to the enterprise and energy shown by the Serapis SSE community.

Enjoy the issue. – Steve Yates, Serapis SSE Programme Director (QinetiQ Training & Simulation)

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FEATURE

Serapis SSE work package considers what Defence learning might look like for the generation after next Such is the pace of technology’s march that the Armed Forces’ so-called ‘PlayStation generation’, the cohort of console owners who proved irrefutably that an interest in video gaming is no barrier to military maturity during the UK’s operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, can now be considered digital dinosaurs.

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HOW TO TRAIN THOSE AT EASE WITH TECHNOLOGY

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Words: Andy Simms, TylerBale

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The next generation of recruits, and generation after next, will sign up to serve having grown up with a finger pressed firmly to the pulse of innovation and accustomed to computation and connectivity being an intuitive and intrinsic element of everyday tasks.

Information-on-demand and a blurring of the physical and digital domains will have been a feature of their formative years and classroom experiences and there will be an expectancy among those committing to a career in Defence that technology will play a pivotal role in not only how the military fights, but how it learns to fight.

Drawing up a blueprint for what the training of tomorrow might entail is at the heart of the DELTA [Developing Education, Learning and Training Advances] project, the simulation elements of which are being delivered

by Dstl in collaboration with industry and academia under the Serapis SSE framework.

“DELTA is designed to give UK Defence advice and guidance into how and whether it integrates learning technologies and approaches into the transformation of training,” explained Dr Matt Richins (Dstl), Project Technical Authority.

“The core ethos of DELTA is to reduce the gap between science and service, making sure that the work that we’re doing into next generation and generation after next directly informs change and the strategy of Defence training for the future.”

While future-facing, Ian Grieg, a senior principal advisor at Dstl, stressed the team’s research questions were both timely and rooted in reality rather than science fiction.

“There are quite a few very

WITHIN DEFENCE WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT OUR FUTURE LEARNERS WILL BE EXPECTING TO SEE THE HEADMOUNTED DISPLAYS USED BY VIRTUAL, AUGMENTED AND MIXED REALITY SYSTEMS AS THEY CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AS PART OF AN ARMED FORCES’ CAREER Caroline Shawl Senior Technical Partner, Dstl

exciting developments in science and technology at the moment which could have a direct impact on the way we do our training and education,” he said. “For example, things like the use of data analytics could help us understand from a really very strong perspective how people are doing, how they’re developing over time and that feedback could then be used to improve the delivery of training.

“Another example is the use of artificial intelligence within the training community – how could we use AI to help plan for training, to help deliver training and to help understand the outcomes of training much better than we currently can?”

TECH-SAVVY TROOPS Caroline Shawl, the senior technical partner at Dstl, added: “Extended reality technologies are already widely available and are likely to be more widespread through education in the future. Within Defence we must understand that our future

learners will be expecting to see the head-mounted displays used by virtual, augmented and mixed reality systems as they continue their education as part of an Armed Forces’ career.

“While the technology in and of itself is quite exciting – it’s tied in with playing games, very exciting visuals and experiences – what we are looking at within the research is how we can best use that technology to deliver an educational benefit.”

And although only 12 months into its three-year analysis, DELTA’s search for answers – entrusted to a multidisciplinary team that blends simulation technology and human sciences expertise – is already paving the way to a more tech-savvy tomorrow. Indeed, the project’s Learning Futures activity has identified waypoints that can be used by Defence to plot a path to the exploitation of emerging technologies.

The Learning Futures work package, led by a core team from D3A Defence, QinetiQ Training

SYNTHETIC SYLLABUS These projections include the use of artificial intelligence instructors that are attuned to trainees’ physical and mental attributes and how to hone them; troops being able to better chart their progress through the use of digital twins; the gamification of learning and the prospect of a military multiverse and Star Trek-style holodeck, in which Defence personnel could be completely immersed in highfidelity simulations of real-world or imagined settings.

Caroline told Conduit that the team’s glimpse into the future focused on people-centric learning, the technologies available to deliver the training and how and where that training could be delivered.

“What we found through the research was that there were four foundational capabilities that underpinned all the scenarios generated – these were artificial intelligence, the ability to augment human capability; a secure communication network so that information can be passed freely and safely; an understanding of data requirements, data management and data capture; and enhanced computing – delivering increased computational power at the point of need.

“On top of the foundational requirements each scenario has its own specific capabilities that need to be in place for that future to be realised – these are capabilities such as robotics or nano technology, human machine interfaces, biotechnology and sensors.

“Having identified these we are able to create roadmaps, built up layer after layer with capability bricks, that lead you to those futures and allow us to steer the path that Defence learning will take. We are now

PROJECTIONS INCLUDE THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE INSTRUCTORS THAT ARE ATTUNED TO TRAINEES’ PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ATTRIBUTES AND HOW TO HONE THEM; TROOPS BEING ABLE TO BETTER CHART THEIR PROGRESS THROUGH THE USE OF DIGITAL TWINS; THE GAMIFICATION OF LEARNING AND THE PROSPECT OF A MILITARY MULTIVERSE AND STAR TREK-STYLE HOLODECK

able to look at our current research programmes, look at what’s happening in the broader academic research area, look at commercial developments and identify if there are any gaps that will stop us achieving that potential future.

“This allows Defence to position itself to quickly get at opportunities as they arise and why wouldn’t you want to do that?” questioned Caroline.

“If there is the opportunity to increase our training to increase the capability of our personnel, we should take it.”

DELTA TAKES FLIGHT It is an invitation that the Royal Air Force has readily accepted.

Highlighting how DELTA was delivering today for a better tomorrow, Air Commodore Philip Arnold, Deputy Director Training, cited the use of XR headsets to augment the weapon handling skills of basic recruits at RAF Halton and embrace of AI at RAF Leeming.

“There are some fantastic green shoots that DELTA has already provided us with,” he

said. “An initial study into the tailored delivery of training uses artificial intelligence to judge the rate of training to individual learners and has had some fantastic success.

The trial has increased the effectiveness of the training but also reduced the time in training by up to 30 per cent.

So, it gives a better experience for that individual student because they are learning at a pace that is fitted to them, that is challenging but not over stretching and it gives a real benefit to the Service because people are away from the front line for less time.”

Such rapid results in DELTA’s debut year are encouraging but Dr Matt Richins is keen to add to the project’s short- and longterm list of beneficiaries.

“We are looking to stakeholders to really engage with us, to support the research through experimentation and trials and to give us their use cases,” he concluded.

“It’s only through partnership with Defence that we can exploit our research.”

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& Simulation and Vedette Consulting, considered inputs such as Defence policy, learning trends and the direction of technological development to generate a series of scenarios that present the potential advantages afforded by generation after next concepts.

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FEATURE

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DIGITAL DEFENDERS Cross-Lot Serapis programme considers the challenges of using AI agents to fortify against the threat of cyber attacks

Words: Andy Simms, TylerBale

While supercomputers

hell-bent on destroying humankind thankfully remain the preserve of blockbuster movie plots, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in warfare is a reality of the high intensity conflict currently being fought on the European continent.

Locked in a digital duel with their Russian counterparts, personnel from the Ukrainian Security Services cyber department have been using AI visual recognition tools to exploit data harvested from aerial drones, social media content and satellite imagery to acquire targets for troops.

This application of neural networks1 allows for faster intelligence analysis, which in turn can deliver strategic and tactical advantages, and represents an early case study in the evolution of AI and machine learning in a kinetic environment.

The use of such technology

– at tempo and scale – in an adversarial capacity by an aggressor is a threat recognised by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and one its multi-year Autonomous Resilient Cyber Defence (ARCD) programme aims to help the UK’s Armed Forces – and those of its allies – mitigate.

Led by Frazer-Nash Consultancy and QinetiQ, and delivered by a rainbow team of suppliers from across the Serapis framework’s Lots, the project is tasked with developing and demonstrating self-defending and selfrecovering concepts for military platforms and networks.

The work features two principal tracks of research – the creation of AI cyber-defence agents and digital ‘training grounds’ in which to train and evaluate them.

“ARCD is focused on delivering solutions for the future, the generation after next, but the

need is already becoming evident,” James Short, a principal systems engineer at QinetiQ Training & Simulation and one of the programme’s technical leads, told Conduit.

“The military is using increasing levels of autonomy in its systems and drones – be that on land, in the air and sea, and even in space – and having humans involved in their protection is difficult. Therefore, the prospect of autonomous agents that can live on those platforms and deal with cyber defence autonomously is a very attractive thing.

“Speed is also key,” he added.

“If a malicious party is using AI in an attack, it is very unlikely a human could deal with the complexity and breadth of what it might do. Other than shutting down a whole system, which is the blunt tool often used to combat cyber-attacks, a human is not going to be able to react quickly enough.”

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FEATURE

INTELLIGENT TRAINING Teaching AI agents not to resort to similarly simplistic actions is one of the many challenges ARCD is seeking to conquer, according to James.

“We are creating environments that can model any platform or system and be used to train and meaningfully evaluate agents,” he said. “The evaluation piece is crucial and requires analytics tools to probe the AI’s ‘brain’, to assess what it is doing and why it makes the decisions it does. An agent might successfully defend against an attack by turning off a switch, but that action might have a detrimental impact on the mission and there is a fine balance to be struck. For example, on occasion it might be better to allow an attack to continue because it might be doing something benign like reading an unclassified email, whereas turning something off may result in an uncrewed air vehicle falling from the sky.”

One of the tools being used to hone the decision-making of the army of AI agents being assembled for deployment in cyber-defensive roles is AI itself.

“Effective evaluation of the defensive agents demands hundreds of thousands of training episodes, and it would be impracticable to have a human sitting there in the role of a ‘red’ agent,” explained James. “You therefore need a cast of autonomous actors – ranging from scripted agents that follow a set path to reactive agents capable of behaving in an unpredictable manner.

“If we don’t test against intelligent counterparts, we’ll end up with relatively simple agents that can only defend against predictable attacks.”

In a further bid to fine-tune the performance of ARCD’s agents, one of the project’s virtual “sandpits”, PrimAITE – a Primary-level AI Training

THE EVALUATION PIECE IS CRUCIAL AND REQUIRES ANALYTICS TOOLS TO PROBE THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLICENCE’S ‘BRAIN’, TO ASSESS WHAT IT IS DOING AND WHY IT MAKES THE DECISIONS IT DOES James Short Principal Systems Engineer, QinetiQ Training & Simulation

Environment – has recently been released ‘into the wild’ and made available as opensource software, a move which will enable a broader community of developers to contribute to and expedite the simulation’s evolution.

A TEAM EFFORT Such a collaborative approach is common across ARCD’s endeavours.

“This work is not about FrazerNash or QinetiQ becoming experts, it is about building up a knowledge base across the whole of industry to support UK Defence and our allies,” James concluded. “There are many suppliers already contributing to the cause and it is not too late for others to join us.

“As a technical lead my message to the Serapis SSE community of practice is don’t sit and watch from the sidelines; this is an agile project and there are still opportunities to get involved.”

FEATURE

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Given that identifying and exploiting over-the-horizon technologies to deliver UK Defence a ‘winning hand’ is a key tenet of Serapis SSE, it came as no surprise to the Conduit editorial team that members of the Lot’s community of practice contributed to the ‘full house’ at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

While the literal view on offer in Sin City is dominated by the bright lights of countless casinos, an effigy to the Eiffel Tower and skyscraper high billboards, the destination has long provided technophiles with a tantalising glimpse of incoming innovations.

And with CES returning as a live event for the first time post-pandemic, 2023’s showcase certainly had plenty to survey with the 115,000-plus attendees greeted by more than 3,200 exhibitors.

The feedback fired back to Conduit by David Taylor, one of Serapis SSE’s technical leads who ventured Stateside was, however, dominated by reports of what couldn’t be seen – chiefly clarity over what a metaverse is and how it might materialise.

That’s not to say that the concept was absent from the CES agenda; far from it in fact, with the buzzword featuring in plenty of the vendor presentations and frequently heard monopolising the chatter of the show’s floorwalkers. The detail and a clearly defined direction of travel were missing though and the overwhelming feeling

Picture: Parsa Mahmoudi/Unsplash

from David was that meaningful metaverse progress remains the preserve of the elite few tech giants with the means to propose and demonstrate their interpretation.

As well as immersing himself in head-worn devices showing the future direction towards an interconnected virtual world, our man on the ground reported that the emergence of 3D tablets and computer screens caught the eye. The technology, buoyed by advances in component manufacture, has

developed at a rapid pace and the ability to view 3D moving pictures without the need to be tethered to a headset or even wear glasses offers plenty of potential.

Indeed, if the metaverse is to be realised, glasses-free could be an alternative gateway to everyday-use of virtualisation – such as virtual spaces and consumer-facing access points – and immersion technologies that enable enterprise shared experiences.

Coupled with the industry

wide leaps and bounds being made in enhancing the capabilities of lenses and optics, the evolution of headworn equipment suggests that the necessary foundation blocks for a metaverse are being developed alongside glasses-free 3D devices. And Apple’s post CES announcement of its Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which marks a significant jump in capability, may yet focus minds on the need for a coherent blueprint from which it can be built.