The Intersection of AI and the Military: A Discussion with Taylor Johnston, Former Chief of Innovation for the U.S. Air Force

Emerging Cyber Risk

On this episode of the Emerging Cyber Risk podcast, our guest is Taylor Johnston, Chief Operations Officer at the USF Institute of Applied Engineering and former Chief of Innovation for the United States Air Force. Join us as we investigate the integration of artificial intelligence and automation into the air force and the wider military. Tune in to discover the potential applications and use cases, as well as the already existing benefits; the current focus on autonomous systems; and the similarities between AI and the atomic bomb.

The podcast is brought to you by Ignyte and Secure Robotics, we share our expertise on cyber risk and AI to help you prepare for the risk management of emerging technologies. We are your hosts, Max Aulakh and Joel Yonts.

The touch points of our discussion include:

1. Where AI fits into the US government’s operations

2. Balancing efficiency and effectiveness when applying AI to military settings

3. Adoption of robotic process automation across sectors

4. The potential of autonomous systems in the military

5. The interoperability of different AI models

6. How AI mirrors the atomic bomb

7. The evolution of regulations in the military and how they apply to AI

Taylor Johnston Bio:

Taylor Johnston is currently the Chief of Operations for the USF Institute of Applied Engineering where leads a multi-disciplinary team in solving complex problems for the Department of Defence, US Government Agencies, and a variety of businesses. Prior to this, he served in the United States Air Force for over twenty years, most recently as the Chief of Innovation. Across his career, he has led diverse teams across different cultures within government and the Air Force, specializing in projects involving collaboration with private sector companies seeking to innovate with the military.

Taylor Johnston on LinkedIn

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Max Aulakh Bio:

Max is the CEO of Ignyte Assurance Platform and a data security and compliance leader delivering DoD-tested security strategies and compliance that safeguard mission-critical IT operations. He has trained and excelled while working for the United States Air Force. He maintained and tested the InfoSec and ComSec functions of network hardware, software, and IT infrastructure for global unclassified and classified networks.

Max Aulakh on LinkedIn

Ignyte Assurance Platform Website
Joel Yonts Bio:

Joel is CEO & Research Scientist at Secure Robotics and the Chief Research Officer & Strategist at Malicious Streams. Joel is a security strategist, innovator, advisor, and seasoned security executive with a passion for information security research. He has over twenty-five years of diverse information technology experience with an emphasis on cyber security. Joel is also an accomplished speaker, writer, and software developer with research interests in enterprise security, digital forensics, artificial intelligence, and robotic & IoT systems.
Joel Yonts on LinkedIn

Secure Robotics Website

Malicious Streams Website