U.S. Air Force: ~$9.5M for "Do-It-Yourself AI" research (A2I2) — a contract with Kitware (USAspending)
The U.S. Air Force ordered about $9.5 million ($9,495,868) for "A2I2," research aiming at "Do-It-Yourself (DIY) AI" that non-experts can build. The recipient is Kitware, known for open-source software. Foundational research toward democratizing AI construction beyond specialists.
Contract key facts
- RecipientKITWARE INC
- Contract value$9,495,868 (≈$9.5M)
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Air Force
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2019-01-04 〜 2024-07-05
- Contract ID (PIID)FA865019C6036
Contract scope (original)
A2I2: ARCHITECTURE, ALGORITHMS, AND INNOVATIVE INTERFACES FOR DO IT YOURSELF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Key points
- The Air Force's "A2I2" — research toward "Do-It-Yourself (DIY) AI" buildable by non-experts
- Pursued along three lines: architecture, algorithms, and easy-to-use interfaces
- Value ~$9.5M, definitive contract, performance Jan 2019–Jul 2024
- Recipient: Kitware, known for open source (VTK/CMake/ParaView, etc.)
- "Democratizing AI" = broadening who can build AI
- Architecture, algorithms and usable interfaces are the three fronts for widening who can build AI.
1An awardee known for open-source tools
The recipient, Kitware, is a company widely known for open-source visualization, image-processing, and software-development tools such as VTK, ITK, CMake, and ParaView.
2Letting non-experts build AI
3Widening the base on three fronts
What "DIY AI" aims at is widening the range of people who can build AI. The work divides across three fronts.
| Front | Aim |
|---|---|
| Architecture | A structure a non-specialist can assemble |
| Algorithms | Less specialist knowledge needed to tune |
| Usable interfaces | People in the field can handle it themselves |
Building a practical AI normally takes machine learning expertise, and this research reads as lowering that bar. If only a small number of specialists can build AI, its use tends to plateau. Kitware, the recipient, is widely known for open-source tools in visualisation, image processing and software development — VTK, ITK, CMake, ParaView — a culture this fits well.
Why it matters
An example of foundational research that broadens "who can build and use AI," rather than the frontier models themselves. It resonates with AI democratization and no-code/low-code AI, offering insight into how AI adoption spreads.
FAQ
What does "DIY AI" mean?
What kind of company is Kitware?
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)：FA865019C6036