U.S. Air Force contract to AI2: research on secure large language models for critical applications — a federal contract (USAspending)
A federal contract awarded by the Department of Defense / Department of the Air Force to AI2 INCORPORATED for about $1.8 million, aimed at secure large language models for critical Air Force applications.
Contract key facts
- RecipientAI2 INCORPORATED
- Contract value$1,799,592 (≈$1.8M)
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Air Force
- Award typePURCHASE ORDER
- Period of performance2024-08-16 〜 2025-12-16
- Contract ID (PIID)FA864924P1125
Contract scope (original)
SECURE LARGE LANGUAGE MODELS TO ENABLE GENERAL ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR CRITICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE APPLICATIONS
Key points
- Awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense / Department of the Air Force; awardee is AI2 INCORPORATED.
- Contract value is $1,799,592; the identifier (PIID) is FA864924P1125.
- The purpose is research on secure large language models for critical Air Force applications.
- It highlights that, for governments handling sensitive information, resistance to leakage, misuse, and tampering is a precondition for using LLMs.
- The original description does not state the specific functions or deliverables.
- Secure here means a bundle: no leakage, no wrong content misdirecting a decision, no alteration by a third party.
1What using an LLM in defense requires
Large language models (LLMs — AI models trained on large volumes of text to generate and summarize text, answer questions, and so on) have spread rapidly, but using them in defense and government settings calls for assumptions that differ from ordinary services.
The more sensitive the information involved, the more that safety (being "secure") becomes a precondition of use: information entered must not leak, outputs must not mislead decisions with incorrect content, and the system must not be tampered with by third parties. This contract's description positions it as research on such secure LLMs for critical Department of the Air Force applications.
2Securing AI in a form safe enough to use
What this contract illustrates is a move by government to partner with an outside AI research organization to secure not AI technology in the abstract, but AI in a form that can be used safely.
The awardee, AI2 INCORPORATED, is a private research organization, and the significance lies in how the Air Force as the demand side and an AI research and development provider on the supply side are connected through the framework of a federal contract.
What the research and development deliverables will be — the specific functions or outcomes — is not stated in the original description, so nothing definitive can be said here.
3Government AI procurement as a current
Viewed across the broader landscape, this case can be read as one example of the larger trend of government AI procurement. Tracing individual federal contracts recorded in USAspending shows which agency awarded what, to whom, for how much, and for what purpose, making it possible to see how public funds flow toward themes such as secure AI and foundation models.
By lining it up against other contracts along axes such as awardee, awarding agency, value, and theme, it can be situated as part of the overall picture of government AI procurement.
4What "secure" refers to here
Secure is a broad word, and in this context it points to a bundle of specific conditions. Each answers a different way of failing.
| Condition | The failure it prevents |
|---|---|
| Information entered does not leak | Sensitive information passing outside |
| Wrong content does not misdirect a decision | Plausible error entering a judgement |
| Nothing is altered by a third party | The model or its output being rewritten from outside |
Large language models have spread quickly, and using them in defense or government settings takes premises that ordinary services do not carry. What this contract shows is government working with an outside AI research organisation to secure not general AI technology but AI in a form that can be used safely. Specific functions or achievements do not appear in the source.
Why it matters
As one example of AI procurement in the government and defense sectors, it shows public funds flowing toward research on LLMs that meet safety requirements. For AI research organizations and providers offering LLMs to organizations that handle sensitive information, it offers a signal that security can become a requirement of government procurement.
FAQ
What is the purpose of this contract?
What is a "secure large language model"?
Does this mean general artificial intelligence will be achieved?
Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：FA864924P1125