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US Coast Guard launches AI and machine learning center to advance operational readiness, workforce development
The U.S. Coast Guard will open a new Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning this fall at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, bringing together experts from government, academia and industry to develop and apply artificial intelligence across the service. The center is part of the Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 priorities and is intended to strengthen operational readiness, technological capabilities and workforce development. It will operate in partnership with the Technology Readiness Directorate and the Office of Data and AI and will include an AI computing platform described by the Coast Guard as one of the most powerful within the Department of Homeland Security.
The Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will pursue three main areas of work, including developing practical AI tools for Coast Guard missions, conducting mission-focused research and training military and civilian personnel to use approved AI tools safely and responsibly.
Located on the Academy’s New London, Connecticut, campus, the Center links the Coast Guard directly to top research institutions, including Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, MIT Lincoln Laboratory, and the National Security Agency.
The Coast Guard said it aims to develop working prototypes within six months rather than wait years for outside software development, with projects already focused on optimizing buoy positioning, improving cutter patrol schedules and strengthening maritime border security. Cadets and faculty will also work with research institutions and industry partners, while the center will connect the Academy with Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, MIT Lincoln Laboratory and the National Security Agency.
“The Center represents a strategic investment in the Coast Guard’s operational readiness, technological advantage, and future workforce,” Matthew Williams, the Center’s executive director, said in a media statement last week. “By bringing together faculty expertise, cadet talent, and enterprise data capabilities, the Center will serve as the Coast Guard’s home base for trusted, mission-driven AI innovation.”
“Advancing AI research through cadet capstone projects and published studies gives the Coast Guard technical credibility, a Ph.D. level academic unit focused on Coast Guard needs, and contributes to the world-class undergraduate education offered at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy,” said Academy Vice Provost for Research Gregory Hall, head of the Office of Scholarship, Research, and Innovation under which the Center will be managed at the Academy. “We look forward to elevating the mission-relevant work of our faculty and cadets and creating opportunities for game-changing AI research with our partners.”
Operating in partnership with the Technology Readiness Directorate (CG-TECH) and the Office of Data and AI (ODA), the Center for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning focuses on three main goals.
First, it aims to build fast, practical tools for the fleet by pairing Coast Guard offices with Academy faculty and technical specialists to design and test practical AI solutions quickly. Rather than waiting years for outside software development, the goal is to build working prototypes within six months. Projects already underway focus on direct mission needs, such as optimizing buoy positioning, improving cutter patrol schedules, and strengthening maritime border security.
Second, the Center conducts mission-focused research by studying how AI algorithms work and exploring better ways to teach and apply them. Cadets and faculty work alongside leading national research institutions and industry partners to explore cutting-edge concepts that tackle real-world Coast Guard problems, while also teaching responsible, ethical use.
Third, the Center is committed to training the Coast Guard workforce for AI, recognizing that this preparation is essential. Working closely with the Office of Data and AI, the Center helps both military and civilian members get comfortable using approved AI tools safely, responsibly, and effectively. At the Academy, cadets receive hands-on classroom instruction and faculty learn how to integrate AI tools into the curriculum.
Last month, the USCG announced establishing the Office of Maritime Cybersecurity Policy to serve as its central authority for cybersecurity policy across the Marine Transportation System (MTS), citing the growing use of information and operational technology in the maritime industry and the associated risks to critical infrastructure. Created under the Director of Inspections and Compliance, the new office will develop and implement policies for the cyber safety and security of ports, vessels and facilities, while directing a coordinated cybersecurity compliance and enforcement strategy and serving as the Coast Guard’s primary liaison with industry and government partners.
