2025 AI in T&E Forum

The Hampton Roads Chapter hosted a one-day Forum on March 19th at the HELIX, Booz Allen’s Center of Innovation in Washington DC. The overall theme is to bring accelerated solutions in a collaborative environment. The challenges in AI and Test were brought forth by the government at last year’s forum. This year, creative and innovative solutions were provided by industry and academia in a rapid-fire approach to a panel of SMEs and government personnel to include: Mr. Jonathan B. Elliott, Director of Assessment and Assurance, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) | Directorate for Enterprise Platforms & Services (EPS), Mr. Chhem “CYP” Young-Pen, DON T&E Workforce, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NIWC), Mr. Karl “Das” Glaeser, Chief, USN/USMC Acquisition Test and Evaluation Requirements, Dr. Raymond D. O’Toole, Jr., Acting Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Christopher C. Collins, Director, Developmental Test, Evaluation, and Assessments, Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Christopher F. Lynch, DoD Government | TRMC Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence Modernization Lead |Replicator Lead | Schedule Deconfliction Clearinghouse lead | Future Vertical Lift Lead, Autonomy & Artificial Intelligence (AAI) Test & Evaluation, Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), etc. .

The Forum also worked on a follow-on Digital Twin Paper in collaboration with the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD), Director of Operational Test and Evaluation’s (DOT&E) called “Digital Representations in Acquisition Lifecycle Phases” https://itea.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/202502228_Follow-on-Digital-Twin-Overview-_PAS.pdf.This original paper was authored by the ITEA 2024/2025 National Symposium Digital Twin in T&E Track Session participants in coordination with OSD/DOT&E, OSD/Developmental Test, Evaluation, and Assessment (DTE&A), Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During this session, the forum collaborated with the attendees with their inputs and comments to potentially be included in the final version of a future article.

The agenda included topics when it comes to how the test community can use AI to do T&E – AND – how to do T&E of AI systems. The forum allowed Industry & Academia to present their AI approaches in a rapid-fire format to SMEs in the audience.

1. Rapid Fire Presentation How can AI enable T&E in PMO?
2. Rapid Fire Presentation How can AI enable T&E in Test Agencies?
3. Rapid Fire Presentation How can AI enable T&E in Test Ranges?
4. Rapid Fire Presentation – How can AI enable T&E in Cyber Test Agencies?
5. Panel on Digital Twin in T&E

The Hampton Roads Chapter also awarded the “John Bolino ITEA Hampton Roads Chapter Scholarship” to Princess Anne High School NJROTC.

The Princess Anne NJORTC program develops a Marksmanship Team that not only practices shooting air riles in the school but also includes Ballistics, Newton’s Laws of Motion and basic physics.

The team also develops a Drone team that not only practices flying the drones but also works towards the cadets passing the FAA 107A Drone Certification Course.
The Drone flight include physics, aeronautics and theory of flight. The Team also develops a team for CyberPatriot, which is a STEM program of the Air & Space Forces Association. It was created to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation’s future. In each of these programs, the NJROTC Team compete at the local or national level.