“We’ve been at this for a long time,” shared La’Naia Jones, CIA’s CIO and Director of IT Enterprise at USGIF GEOINT 2024 Symposium. However, while the Agency is over 75 years old, the study of maps goes back much farther. Jones said, “Without maps, we wouldn’t be where we are today.” And history is important to understanding present challenges. But working together plays a critical role, as well. Jones pushed for industry and government to collaborate during her keynote speech. She highlighted how U.S. adversaries unite against our country, so it’s important for everyone in national security to have the same relentless pursuit. There’s zero room for territorial arguments.
Jones said, “We have to come together across all services…communities…defense industrial base… in order to succeed.” She asked everyone to lean in and challenge one another and bring the best solutions. Specifically, industry has the ability to bring about the necessary changes and advance technology in a way that the government can’t.
AI and the Mission
Jones acknowledged the AI buzz this past year. Today, we find ourselves having similar conversations from over 20 years ago, albeit in a different context. She said that as we move forward with quantum and generative AI, we’re encountering some of the same challenges.
Don’t rush ahead too quickly – much of this work has been done before. Jones said that by leveraging the knowledge and backgrounds we already have, we can keep driving future advancements. The IC and others in the national security space keep increasing capabilities from the past so that everyone can work together seamlessly, bridging the gap from unclassified to highly classified work. While the topics may change, the people remain the same. The skills, knowledge, and experience we have are the same ones we’ll use now, whether we’re discussing AI, cloud computing, or geopolitical challenges like those posed by China.
People Make the CIA Mission
Jones confirmed that AI is important, but people trump the tool. She said, “We can’t do the work we do without the people…the people make the mission.” But she also called out the myth that you have to join the CIA or the IC right after college. Getting your foot in the IC door can be at any point in your career – whether transitioning from the military or switching from an industry field. Jones commented, “There’s no point in your life where you’re not welcome in the IC.”
And it’s important for those who work in national security to step in an push the best and the brightest to consider supporting the IC mission.
C2E Update
Just a few years ago, the CIA awarded its Commercial Cloud Enterprise (C2E) contract to five of the largest cloud providers – Amazon, Google, IBM, Microsoft and Oracle. Jones confirmed that CIA has multiple vendors approved and ready to operate. She noted that multiple clouds approved offers the ability to operate at multiple clearance levels. She shared that “there’s a space for everyone in this world. The idea that we can only do things one way is not where we want to be.” This approach allows the IC to operate seamlessly as they face a variety of challenges.
It’s about staying agile and working together as a community. Jones noted that program executives are sharing conversations with each other and providing oversight from the C2E program. Additionally, enabling AI on a classified cloud and augmenting open source from analysts and the data that we have offers promise and hope that going forward we know we have the right people and technology to help us get there. Jones highlighted that everyone in the GS community is part of getting this right.
