AI: A Tool for Empowerment, Not Replacement

Amy Gilliland, the head of General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), is a strong advocate for the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). She envisions AI not as a replacement for human workers, but as a powerful tool to enhance their capabilities.

AI in Action at GDIT

• Internal Mobility: GDIT is already leveraging AI to help employees find new roles within the company.
• Code Generation: Exploring AI's ability to write code and process proposals.
• Training Investment: A tenfold increase in AI training courses taken in 2025 compared to the previous year.

Challenging Traditional ROI Metrics

Despite a recent MIT study suggesting that most companies are not seeing a return on their AI investments, Gilliland argues it's too early to judge AI's value based on traditional return on investment (ROI) metrics. She emphasizes the importance of investing in training employees to use AI effectively.

Employee Excitement and New Opportunities

• Routine Coding Tasks: Employees are eager to use AI for mundane coding tasks, freeing them to focus on more challenging and interesting work.
• Proposal Drafting: AI can quickly analyze government documents and find relevant past projects to assist in drafting proposals.

Innovative Initiatives

• AI Tool for Internal Mobility: Matches employees to new opportunities within the company, including temporary assignments.
• Mission Emerge Center: A new showroom and meeting space near the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) campus, where GDIT can demo new AI and other products for potential government customers.

Accelerating Military Technology

Gilliland believes that new technologies like AI and new venues for cooperation can help the military upgrade its technology much faster. She points to the Ukrainian military's use of technology in real-time as an example. The Department of Defense (DoD) now expects industry executives to deliver new technologies in weeks or days, not months or years, marking a significant shift from traditional turnaround times.