New Microchip Increases Military Intelligence

A new microchip could change life on the battlefield for US troops by bringing the massive data crunching power of multi-computer neural networks, a dream of the 1970s and 80s, into handheld devices.

The chip, announced by a team of researchers from MIT and funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, could enable a smartphone-sized device to perform deep-learning functions.

What can the military do with deep learning? Effectively executing complex operations in places like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan is no longer just a matter of guts and glory. It’s also dependent on accessing and processing information in real time. The military has an abundance of data but always claims a shortage of useful intelligence. Consider that in 2011, during the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the US Air Force was processing 1,500 hours of full-motion video and 1,500 still images taken from aerial drones every day.

When satellites or drones collect high-resolution photographs or video, it’s human operators that have to do the job of classifying all the objects in that footage. Did someone just move a missile launcher within range of a forward operating base, or is that just a strangely shaped pile of debris? Is that white van the same one that was on that street during last month’s IED attack? Or is it a different one? Is that bearded insurgent Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or just a regular radical?

“Full exploitation of this information is a major challenge,” officials at DARPA wrote in a 2009 announcement on deep learning. “Human observation and analysis of [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] assets is essential, but the training of humans is both expensive and time-consuming. Human performance also varies due to individuals’ capabilities and training, fatigue, boredom, and human attentional capacity.”

The promise of mobile deep learning for the military is in shrinking large “neural networks” into the palm of a soldier’s hand.  Neural networks are a technology that emerged in the 1970s to great hype and fanfare. They’re a method of information processing inspired by organic central nervous systems. Nodes establish links to other nodes in patterns to hold information in a sort of code somewhat the way that the synaptic connections in your brain hold information.

Fitting neural networks (of the sort that perform deep learning) into smaller platforms could enable drones to do that sort of object recognition on board, without sending imagery back to an overworked human analyst or a data processing center halfway around the world. It could also enable a team of special operators to do the same, using their own drones, portable cameras, or other devices, to make positive identifications of people or objects without human analysts far away looking at the footage.

Imagine a special operator getting a push notification the moment that a small camera on the other side of town detects–and correctly identifies–a particular person walking into a particular house. That sort of capability would require computers that are small enough to be inconspicuous in the sorts of places soldiers operate but that can also learn to recognize different people or objects. Those are among the many military applications for deep learning and neural networks.
 
In the seventies and throughout the eighties, the processing power didn’t exist to turn the concept of computer neural networks into anything useful in an information technology environment. Neural networks have since re-emerged thanks to the efforts of Google (and researchers like Andrew Ng at Stanford) who put them back on the map in 2012 with the announcement that they had used neural networks and deep learning to improve by 70 percent the ability of artificial intelligence to correctly recognize objects.  

But neural networks remain energy intensive and relatively inefficient. To do deep learning right, you currently need computational resources in the form of servers or large computers. That means if you want to access deep learning processes on your smartphone it probably has to be connected to the Internet and thus a different computer. That’s not ideal for anyone working from a forward operating base or disaster zone.

“Right now, the networks are pretty complex and are mostly run on high-power [graphical processing units]. You can imagine that if you can bring that functionality to your cell phone or embedded devices, you could still operate even if you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection. You might also want to process locally for privacy reasons. Processing it on your phone also avoids any transmission latency, so that you can react much faster for certain applications.” MIT’s Vivienne Sze explained in a press release. It also would allow for compartmentalizing sensitive intelligence or mission information from wider dissemination.  

Here’s how it works: the MIT researchers’ breakthrough microchip, dubbed “Eyeriss,” minimizes the number of times that the chip’s 168 cores have to access a memory bank, a process that eats away at energy efficiency in conventional graphical processing units, or GPU, chips. Every core in Eyeriss has its own memory. In effect, it’s like creating the functionality of 168 chips on a wafer where there was just one. That could lead to a pocket–sized device that can perform deep learning functions independently, potentially bringing a lot more brains into the devices that soldiers carry with them into the precision-guided counterterrorism battles of today and tomorrow.

DefenseOne:

« Cybersecurity Is A Great Career Choice
Twitter Steps Up Efforts To Combat ISIS »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

LockLizard

LockLizard

Locklizard provides PDF DRM software that protects PDF documents from unauthorized access and misuse. Share and sell documents securely - prevent document leakage, sharing and piracy.

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North Infosec Testing (North IT)

North IT (North Infosec Testing) are an award-winning provider of web, software, and application penetration testing.

Jooble

Jooble

Jooble is a job search aggregator operating in 71 countries worldwide. We simplify the job search process by displaying active job ads from major job boards and career sites across the internet.

IT Governance

IT Governance

IT Governance is a leading global provider of information security solutions. Download our free guide and find out how ISO 27001 can help protect your organisation's information.

CYRIN

CYRIN

CYRIN® Cyber Range. Real Tools, Real Attacks, Real Scenarios. See why leading educational institutions and companies in the U.S. have begun to adopt the CYRIN® system.

Asigra

Asigra

Asigra provides an industry leading cloud backup and recovery software platform called Asigra Cloud Backup.

IntaForensics

IntaForensics

IntaForensics offer a full range of digital investigation services and are able to adapt to the individual needs of solicitors, private clients, Law Enforcement Agencies and commercial businesses.

Foundation Futuristic Technologies (FFT)

Foundation Futuristic Technologies (FFT)

FFT is a global leader in computer forensics and digital investigation solutions.

Sentia

Sentia

Sentia is an IT and infrastructure firm, with focus on Outsourcing, IT operation and management, Hosting, Co-location, Network, and IT security.

SGCyberSecurity

SGCyberSecurity

SGCyberSecurity is Singapore's No.1 Cyber Security portal. From this platform, you will be able to find useful articles, resources and connect with the security companies for your business needs.

Fox-IT

Fox-IT

Fox-IT prevents, solves and mitigates the most serious cyber threats with smart solutions for governmental bodies, defense, law enforcement, critical infrastructure, banking and large enterprises.

Metro Systems

Metro Systems

Metro Systems offer fully integrated IT solutions & services covering Digital Transformation, Digital Infrastructure, Cyber Security and Training.

ECOLUX

ECOLUX

ECOLUX is a professional IoT security service company committed to developing world-leading “IoT Lifecycle Security” technologies and products.

Automox

Automox

Remediate vulnerabilities 30X faster than the industry norm – and dramatically reduce your risk with simple, fast, and cloud-native endpoint hardening from Automox.

Software Diversified Services (SDS)

Software Diversified Services (SDS)

SDS provides the highest quality mainframe software and award-winning, expert service with an emphasis on security, encryption, monitoring, and data compression.

VeriClouds

VeriClouds

VeriClouds is a password verification service that helps organizations detect compromised passwords and stop account takeover attacks.

Zephyr Project

Zephyr Project

The Zephyr Project strives to deliver the best-in-class RTOS for connected resource-constrained devices, built to be secure and safe.

X Technologies

X Technologies

X Technologies provide world-class engineering, information technology, information security, program management and repair services to Federal, State and commercial customers.

Progress Partners

Progress Partners

Progress Partners is a corporate advisory firm that works with buyers and sellers of emerging growth companies to complete M&A or private placement transactions. Our sectors include cybersecurity.

Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE)

Saudi Information Technology Company (SITE)

SITE is a forward-thinking enterprise, which aims at revitalizing Saudi Arabia’s digital infrastructure, cybersecurity, software development, and big data and analytics capabilities.

Certera

Certera

Certera is a modern and affordable SSL Certificate, Code Signing Certificate, and Cyber Security Services provider.