{"id":49598,"date":"2025-03-10T21:46:58","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:46:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/nga-embraces-ai-to-help-manage-increase-in-data-nga-director-whitworth-says\/"},"modified":"2025-03-10T21:46:58","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:46:58","slug":"nga-embraces-ai-to-help-manage-increase-in-data-nga-director-whitworth-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/nga-embraces-ai-to-help-manage-increase-in-data-nga-director-whitworth-says\/","title":{"rendered":"NGA Embraces AI to Help Manage Increase in Data, NGA Director Whitworth Says"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) is on a growth spurt, specifically around developing workforce and incorporating artificial intelligence for more data gathering and assistance in managing that data. That was the message from Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, the director of National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) during his keynote speech Monday at SATELLITE.<\/p>\n<p>Whitworth talked about resources available for the NGA and what needs to be added. \u201cStructured observations don\u2019t come cheaply, especially when you start generating the type of inferences and number of detections that we do,\u201d he said. \u201cWe move more ones and zeros than any other agency in the United States. A lot of Americans don\u2019t realize that, and accordingly, with the size of the constellation growing and the number of terabytes coming from space over the next eight years, that data collection will go up precipitously.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/gjCwMephTwKkuPChNm8h_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20220DGTL_Cover-300x225.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"width: 120px; height: auto;\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/gjCwMephTwKkuPChNm8h_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20220DGTL_Cover-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/gjCwMephTwKkuPChNm8h_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20220DGTL_Cover-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/gjCwMephTwKkuPChNm8h_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20220DGTL_Cover-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/gjCwMephTwKkuPChNm8h_VS_ShowDaily20202520Day20220DGTL_Cover.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"fs-5 mt-0\">Explore the Show Daily 2025 Day 2 Issue<\/h3>\n<p class=\"mb-0 fs-smaller text-balance\">Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-primary\" type=\"button\" data-bs-toggle=\"offcanvas\" data-bs-target=\"#offcanvasMENU\" aria-controls=\"offcanvasExample\" aria-label=\"button\" style=\"white-space: nowrap;\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\tView More <i class=\"bi bi-arrow-right-circle\"><\/i><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/button><\/p>\n<p>Artificial intelligence has been a key focus of the agency going forward. \u201cIn the past, we\u2019ve used the A in NGA to go with a theme like acceleration or action. This year we\u2019re talking about a true acceleration of AI,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<p>Whitworth outlined five goals for developing AI, including task organization of the leadership. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about an entity that is not necessarily human, but can be as productive, in some cases, as a human,\u201d he said. \u201cSo while we won\u2019t necessarily have a chief of AI development like you have a chief of human development, we\u2019re getting close to figuring out how to structure that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There is automated collection occurring thanks to some of the AI models, he said, from automation that was put in place just last year. \u201cWe\u2019re keeping custodies of some things that we didn\u2019t use to keep custody of, and that\u2019s a very powerful thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><script>var AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a69cf3d7d8f8;googletag.cmd.push(function(){var AIMAP_29b58f13885ebf8ea6b032f958eb0748 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([992, 100], [[970, 90], [970, 250]]).addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_737ce075cc05dd766c8f8ea08f3faa73 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([768, 100], [728, 90]).addSize([320, 100], [320, 50]).build();var AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3 = googletag.sizeMapping().addSize([1200, 100], [970, 250]).addSize([768, 100], [600, 300]).addSize([320, 100], [300, 250]).build();AIAD_fcd45f981d570e35cee941b23edc69c7_6a69cf3d7d8f8 = googletag.defineSlot('\/987\/satellitetoday.com\/via-satellite-digital-issue-ads', [ [600, 300], [300, 250], [970, 250] ], 'div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a69cf3d7d8f9').defineSizeMapping(AIMAP_21fe3bcfb86a8660aba4e721ee9338f3).setCollapseEmptyDiv(true).addService(googletag.pubads());   });<\/script><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1774631144891- 0-6a69cf3d7d8f9'); });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Whitworth said that they also get pixels from international partners. \u201cThat is something that we at the NGA take very seriously,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t talk about those numbers, but trust me, it\u2019s impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The commercial satellite sector is another significant source that the NGA taps into. \u201cThe coverage that commercial satellites allow is so important right now,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m talking to a lot of people who represent the commercial sector. I want additional collections and additional commercial pixels. I want analytics with commercial. I want it all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>With all that is needed and all that is being developed, NGA\u2019s decentralized approach has been very responsive, he said. \u201cThere are about 9,000 people in the agency now, and about 25 percent of our force is not in any particular headquarters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The NGA is about 3 percent military, and about 55 percent government civilian, with the remainder being contractors. \u201cEveryone pulls their weight in their particular areas of expertise, and pound for pound, I\u2019m really proud of the output and the productivity that our team has been able to generate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>What the NGA needs now is accreditation and certification for the workforce to work with AI. \u201cA lot of people might assume that people find it threatening, or they\u2019re fearful that the future involves models instead of people,\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s going to be more of a team approach. Don\u2019t forget, these are some of the best people we have in the world at generating positive identification, generating warning, generating targeting. We need to keep them in a place of constantly training through machine learning, structured observations, and data labeling.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What keeps him up at night is not the enemy, Whitworth said. \u201cIt\u2019s just the responsibility of not missing something. We don\u2019t want to miss some sort of an exploitation that would help us generate positive identification and targeting. And we definitely don\u2019t want to miss any detail that would help us render better charts and better maps.\u201d <strong>VS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>,<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"widget-title\">In This Issue<\/h2>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 521:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9s2i3MlTSTWiccWmfg3P_VS_ShowDaily20202520DGTL_6-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9s2i3MlTSTWiccWmfg3P_VS_ShowDaily20202520DGTL_6-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9s2i3MlTSTWiccWmfg3P_VS_ShowDaily20202520DGTL_6-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9s2i3MlTSTWiccWmfg3P_VS_ShowDaily20202520DGTL_6-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/9s2i3MlTSTWiccWmfg3P_VS_ShowDaily20202520DGTL_6.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tMeet the 2025 Startup Space Competitors<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 519:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/G5PZwsKSSvyyJb3JfMyG_Battle20of20Broadband-300x199.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/G5PZwsKSSvyyJb3JfMyG_Battle20of20Broadband-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/G5PZwsKSSvyyJb3JfMyG_Battle20of20Broadband-800x532.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/G5PZwsKSSvyyJb3JfMyG_Battle20of20Broadband-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/G5PZwsKSSvyyJb3JfMyG_Battle20of20Broadband.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tMulti-Orbit Terminals and Service Make Progress, But Have Further to Go, Leaders Say<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 522:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/BnmU8OzSNaLg7KrbYHpW_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_3-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/BnmU8OzSNaLg7KrbYHpW_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/BnmU8OzSNaLg7KrbYHpW_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_3-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/BnmU8OzSNaLg7KrbYHpW_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_3-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/BnmU8OzSNaLg7KrbYHpW_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_3.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSatellite Executive of the Year Nominees for 2024<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 523:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/w3cljPCHThmmGYEbfA0e_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_4-300x225.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/w3cljPCHThmmGYEbfA0e_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/w3cljPCHThmmGYEbfA0e_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_4-800x599.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/w3cljPCHThmmGYEbfA0e_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_4-640x480.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/w3cljPCHThmmGYEbfA0e_via-satellite_VS_030125_DGTL_4.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSatellite Technology of the Year Nominees for 2024<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<!-- post id 518:  \/code\/wp-content\/themes\/ai-beehive\/template-parts\/content\/post-snippet.php --><\/p>\n<figure class=\"overflow-hidden w-100 me-3\">\n<p>\t<img width=\"300\" height=\"199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/kan8XjlQe2stMLCdaugZ_Adel20Al-Saleh20SATshow-300x199.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" style=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/kan8XjlQe2stMLCdaugZ_Adel20Al-Saleh20SATshow-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/kan8XjlQe2stMLCdaugZ_Adel20Al-Saleh20SATshow-800x532.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/kan8XjlQe2stMLCdaugZ_Adel20Al-Saleh20SATshow-640x426.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.satellitetoday.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/kan8XjlQe2stMLCdaugZ_Adel20Al-Saleh20SATshow.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\">\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"fs-4 w-100 line-clamp-3\">\n<p>\t\t\t\tSES CEO Adel Al-Saleh Announces Investment in Lynk Global for D2D Services<br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<p><!-- .post-snippet --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"my-3 d-block d-md-none\">\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) is on a growth spurt, specifically around developing workforce and incorporating artificial intelligence for more data gathering and assistance in managing that data. That was the message from Vice Admiral Frank Whitworth, the director of National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) during his keynote speech Monday at SATELLITE. Whitworth talked [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49599,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49598"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49598"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49598\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49599"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}