Coffee & Conversation with Scott Kirkpatrick

On Wednesday, February 11, INSA hosted a virtual Coffee & Conversation with Scott Kirkpatrick, Director for Science & Technology, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg, President of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance.

In the 45-minute program, Mr. Kirkpatrick detailed how the DIA is working to deliver intelligence more efficiently while integrating AI, modernizing MASINT, upgrading the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications Systems (JWICS), and strengthening Five Eyes interoperability. He emphasized that intelligence must be delivered at a rapid operational tempo, without sacrificing rigor or compliance. 

A central theme was the responsible integration of AI. While automation can accelerate complex workflows, Mr. Kirkpatrick noted that quality assurance cannot be fully automated. DIA has implemented specific guardrails and governance gates that combine AI-enabled tools with human review to preserve critical thinking and analytic standards. 

Mr. Kirkpatrick described DIA's effort to modernize MASINT, historically a science-driven discipline focused on weapons performance and technical capabilities. While DIA has made progress on JWICS, he described the broader environment as a "six-lane highway" often connected to "dirt roads". This underscored the need for sustained investment in digital architecture and data centers across the defense intelligence enterprise.

On industry's role, Mr. Kirkpatrick was clear that industry is a critical partner in software development, sustainment, and modernization efforts. "We do very little without an industry partner," he noted. The greatest immediate value industry can provide is enabling speed through open architectures, APIs, and shared risk models aligned with mission priorities. However, he acknowledged that DIA operates as a compliance-driven enterprise, requiring additional security and information assurance steps before commercial technologies can be deployed. "It may not be them, it's us," he said, stressing the importance of industry understanding DIA's unique culture, governance structures, and risk management requirements.