The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), in partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and commercial AI firm LILT, is applying advanced language-AI tools to accelerate U.S. military training and cooperation efforts, according to a Pentagon announcement.
In a media update, CDAO revealed that it has partnered with DIU and LILT to deploy an AI-driven translation platform across the Army, Navy and Air Force.
The platform rapidly translates text, video and audio between English and foreign languages, helping close communication gaps on global missions.
One of the earliest beneficiaries has been the U.S. Army’s Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC).
“LILT AI Translation has catapulted WHINSEC into the future of AI and its nexus with security cooperation and professional military education across the Western Hemisphere. We can now rapidly integrate international forces from countries that partner with the U.S. at all echelons: in the classrooms, during multinational exercises, and foreseeably in coalition combat outposts. That’s what we train for at CGSOC.,”U.S. Army Colonel Eldridge Singleton, 9th WHINSEC commandant said.
Historically, WHINSEC required up to a year to translate curriculum materials for its 11-month Command and General Staff Officer Course, taught in Spanish for partner-nation students. This year, using LILT’s system, the institute completed translations in just a few weeks, dramatically reducing time and cost while improving accuracy — particularly for military-specific terminology and regional nuances.