Jane Edwards 
Chris Brown, public sector chief technology officer at Virtualitics, said defense organizations should deploy artificial intelligence capabilities using a data-on-demand model that leaves information in authoritative systems.
The conversation around operational AI continues at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit, where government and industry leaders will examine how the technology is transforming mission execution. Brown will speak during a panel discussion at the Potomac Officers Club-hosted summit. He will join other experts to discuss how AI can help automate government operations. Register now to save your seat at the event.
Brown, who joined Virtualitics in December, shared the insights during a panel discussion at AFA Warfare on the operational use of AI across defense environments.
Under a data-on-demand framework, he said agencies leave data in authoritative systems of record while governing it at the source. Secure application programming interfaces can then provide controlled access for analytics and AI applications, allowing AI tools to operate alongside the data.
Brown said the approach can preserve data lineage, reduce unnecessary data movement and minimize risks while still supporting enterprisewide insights.
What Did Brown Say About Factors Slowing AI Adoption in Defense?
Brown said data governance requirements and accreditation processes remain key factors slowing AI deployment across defense organizations. He noted that AI systems handling classified information must follow strict governance and security requirements, including attribute-based access control and data lineage.
He added that traditional system-by-system authority to operate reviews can delay the rollout of new AI models and workflows. Treating AI development platforms as infrastructure could help streamline security reviews while maintaining compliance.
How Should Agencies Deploy Agentic AI?
According to Brown, agentic AI enables systems to perform predefined automated actions, but the capability also introduces risk considerations.
He said agencies should deploy these systems with safeguards such as clearly defined permissions, restricted API access, egress controls, network isolation and transparent reasoning to ensure they support human decision-makers.
How Does AI Help Improve Defense Readiness & Sustainment?
During the discussion, Brown noted that AI is improving readiness and sustainment by replacing manual workflows and spreadsheets with tools for predictive maintenance, supply forecasting and regulated asset storage planning.
He added that these capabilities can reduce disruptions, lower manual workload and better align maintenance, supply and operational tempo.
In August 2025, the company launched Virtualitics Iris, an AI-enabled platform designed to help defense and government agencies quickly glean actionable insights from readiness data and accelerate the decision-making process.
