News item | 23-04-2025 | 12:28
Working closely with AI tech companies for, for example, a synthetic data factory. That is what State Secretary Gijs Tuinman of Defense wants. He challenged the AI sector in our country. He did that today at the Dutch AI congress in the Fabrique In Utrecht. “AI is already changing warfare forever.”
More than 800 participants arrived at the congress with the theme ‘Getting started with AI’. In addition, there were experts and professionals from the business community.
Last week the State Secretary was still in the United States. He took a closer look at tech companies such as Anduril and Palentir there. They make the software behind a relatively classic weapon such as the cruise rocket, for example, smarter and cheaper using AI. Tuinman was impressed.
Gamechanger
Ai is one gamechangersays the State Secretary. It has consequences for our entire way of working. “From planning maintenance of everything that runs, flies or speeds – to collecting, processing and analyzing information. And taking operational decisions.”
Tuinman appeals to the entire AI sector for help. 3 things play a role in this: money, intelligence and courage.
More than a billion
Money is not the problem, according to the crystal clear message from the cabinet. More than a billion is ready to scale up the defense industry.
“And this year I want to invest 310 million euros in unimportant systems and scaling up other innovations. AI is a growing part of that. Stronger, I think AI de backbone of our innovations. ”
Then the intelligence. Defense is already working with a number of excellent Dutch players. “Of Lobster Robotics We are working on an underwater robot with optical sensor. It inspects the critical infrastructure under water. With Avalor Ai (and others) we are already working closely in the development of software for drones. And we now have our own Defgpt, a safe internal alternative to Chatgpt: internally developed and completely closed off the internet. ” Yet more parties are needed.
Development teams
Defense and the business community have to work together much more intensively. That requires daring. “I see a cooperative in front of me, between your and our development teams. So that we can integrate work processes quickly.” Defense, for example, needs its own synthetic data factory. “Good data is scarce and costs a lot of time, resources and manpower. That can be easier by generating them synthetically.”
Tuinman also calls on the AI sector to come up with other concrete proposals. “Tell me what you can build in six months.”