Army, C3.ai Partner on Predictive Maintenance Tool Development

The U.S. Army has tapped enterprise artificial intelligence software provider C3.ai to help capture, organize and standardize data from maintenance logs to support predictive maintenance of its aircraft, Defense One reported Wednesday.

C3.ai will upload organized data into the cloud and then allow AI software to generate insights from data, allowing Army officials to decide when to purchase spare parts and perform maintenance work on its aircraft fleet.

“We’re optimistic that we’ll prove a success [and] save money,” James McPherson, the service’s general counsel, said of the AI-based predictive maintenance tool during an interview at an Association of the U.S. Army AI conference in Detroit. “Then we’ll move [the technology] to everything else. Vehicles will be next.”

McPherson added that the service will establish on Dec. 1 an enterprise cloud management office to help standardize data for the cloud.