Technology Magazine December 2020 | Page 102

USAF-MIT AI ACCELERATOR
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that we ’ ve had to address include the Air Force sharing data at such a public level . On the legal side , we ’ ve developed a data sharing agreement which enables the Air Force to share data publicly with academia and industry .” That collaboration is key to the Magnetic Navigation project , which Jacobs works on , and is aimed at developing an alternative to GPS systems which are vulnerable to disruption , especially in a conflict setting , which would create huge problems in both a military and civilian setting , considering the extent to which the technology is embedded in our lives . “ The government is looking into what alternative GPS could look like and magnetic navigation is one of the possibilities ,” says Jacobs . “ Magnetic navigation takes the earth magnetic resonance and a magnetometer reader to pinpoint where you are in relation to the earth . Because this technique doesn ’ t rely on any external sources , it becomes particularly useful in areas where other signal sources are uncommon , such as over water .” The role of AI in the project is threefold , as Jacobs explains . “ One , we ’ re using AI to reduce excess noise on the system . Have the AI cancel out what is coming from the plane and recognize what is interference
DECEMBER 2020