The United States Marine Corps (USMC) recognizes artificial intelligence (AI) as a transformative technology to enhance decision advantage in the evolving landscape of modern warfare. The USMC AI Implementation Plan (AI IPlan) was developed in response to the publication of the USMC AI Strategy1 as a critical component of executing the 39th Commandant’s Planning Guidance to leverage “advances in artificial intelligence to enhance decision making at the tactical edge.”2 This plan aligns with key directives, including those outlined in Force Design3, the Department of the Navy (DON) Data and AI Weaponization Strategy under development, the Department of Defense (DoD) Data Analytics and AI Strategy4, and the Executive Order 14179 on AI.5
Purpose: The AI IPlan identifies the actions, offices of primary responsibility (OPRs), and milestones for the implementation of the USMC AI Strategy. It establishes a Digital Transformation Pilot (DXP) project as a near-term vehicle for implementation and to gauge and measure success. The plan is designed as an integrating document that aligns activities to achieve unity of effort. Building upon strategic directives, it identifies clear tasks associated with each goal and objective. (View Highlight)
Digital Transformation Pilot: Digital transformation is the process of adopting and implementing digital technology to increase value through innovation and efficiency. This plan establishes a Digital Transformation Pilot project that will deploy Digital Transformation Teams (DXTs) to support and measure successful implementation. This pilot will focus on the following: • Delivery of digital, data, analytics, and AI solutions. • Delivery of process optimizations. • Advise the command on opportunities and risk of digital, data, and AI employment. • Validate existing processes and identify opportunities for data and AI integration. • Reporting via data and AI governance structures for Service alignment and decisions.
Data as the Foundation for AI: Data management, governance, and architecture are essential for effective AI implementation. This plan supports and informs the ongoing strategic efforts to update the USMC Data Implementation Plan (DIP) and outlines inclusion of inspectable items to be introduced into the Commanding General’s Inspection Program to shift the culture toward data-driven decision.
AI Infrastructure: An AI infrastructure operations planning team (OPT) will identify the requirements for storage & compute, resource management, development security operations (DevSecOps) machine learning operations (MLOps) environments, and ML platforms for enterprise and tactical employment, with cybersecurity incorporated throughout.
Workforce: This plan proposes changes to the workforce that are required to support the data and AI strategic goals. There are three primary workforce groups critical to AI implementation: • Marines who utilize AI capabilities to enhance operational effectiveness. • Workforce that builds, maintains, and refines digital, data, and AI solutions. • Leadership charged with making risk decisions on the use of AI and AI-enabled systems. (View Highlight)
Training and Education: Appropriate training and education will support the workforce to ensure mission success. This includes: • Immediate education opportunities developed and made available to upskilling the workforce. • AI training and education developed and institutionalized to support the AI workforce and the Total Force.
Policies and Policy Blockers: The Marine Innovation Unit (MIU) conducted an assessment with recommendations on potential existing roadblocks to AI implementation. They highlight the following areas for consideration: • The authority to operate (ATO) process. • Existing risk management framework. • Fragmented data management across the Service. • Cultural approach to build, deploy, and manage software.
USMC Center for Digital Transformation: An assessment will be conducted on establishing a USMC Center for Digital Transformation (CDX). The CDX will provide digital, data, and AI knowledge-based products designed to support and grow a healthy ecosystem, developer community, and user base. The center will accelerate the fielding of emerging technologies, including AI, across the Service via strong connections with industry and academia.
AI Governance: AI Governance ensures compliance, resource alignment, Responsible AI support, while encouraging innovation. The plan tasks the Service Data Office (SDO) with establishing AI governance by identifying integration opportunities with current governance entities across the USMC enterprise landscape.
Resource Framework: The plan describes how resources will be aligned across the Service for effective AI implementation and oversight to support enterprise-to-edge capabilities for current and future requirements. (View Highlight)
Execution
Tasks and OPRs are listed to facilitate effective implementation. Each task contains anticipated key performance indicators (KPIs), while charging the OPR to refine their KPIs following the publication of this plan. OPRs will report task execution progress to the AI Working Group (AIWG) on a quarterly basis. Figure 1 provides a high-level overview of the implementation timeline and milestones.
The AI IPlan is a detailed roadmap to accomplish the USMC AI Strategy1 by charting the course to evolve the Marine Corps into an AI-enabled Force, ready to confront the challenges of future conflicts with enhanced readiness and effectiveness. It is a testament to the Corps’ dedication to maintaining a competitive edge through the responsible and innovative use of AI technology. (View Highlight)
