NGA Leaders Highlight AI Integration Challenges: Speed vs. Safety and Workforce Fears

The National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) is rapidly integrating artificial intelligence tools into its operations, but leaders emphasize the need to balance speed with safety amid growing global AI competition.

Jay Harless, director of human development at NGA, highlighted the dual pressures driving the agency’s AI push: the urgent need to match investments by adversarial nations such as Russia and China, and the responsibility to implement AI without disrupting established intelligence-gathering methods.

“One of our primary drivers is that our adversaries were investing heavily, and so there is the pressure to keep ahead of and do that safely. We also realize that some of our adversaries may not have the same legal and ethical boundaries that us and our partners all need.”

Harless made these remarks on Tuesday at the Workday Federal Forum, presented by Scoop News Group.

The agency is developing agentic AI systems designed to accelerate decision-making within secure frameworks. This effort involves building new IT infrastructure, establishing validation protocols, monitoring for bias or rogue behavior, and implementing accountability measures.

“We’re moving fast, and moving fast safely by distinguishing what should be automated, what should be augmented and what should be kept purely human, because there are some things that will always be [human-operated].”

Sasha Muth, NGA’s deputy director of human development, outlined a three-to-five-year plan to transform the agency’s workforce and IT infrastructure for the AI era. This year’s focus includes setting structural guidelines for AI use by analysts and reassessing entry-level job qualifications.

However, the transition has sparked internal concerns. Muth acknowledged the challenge of addressing employee fears that AI will replace rather than assist their roles. In 2024, NGA appointed its first Chief AI Officer, and its upcoming three-year strategic plan will prioritize change management, professional development, and upskilling.

“We do see it as a big transformation, not only for just utilizing the technology, but moving our workforce along with us, having them excited about the changes and not fearful, because there’s a lot of fear…that their job is going away, that they won’t have a job.”

Muth expressed particular concern that the agency could lose critical expertise during the five-year transition if modernization efforts fail to keep pace with automation.