The US Air Force Research Laboratory has partnered with Washington-based startup EdgeRunner AI to test a generative artificial intelligence chatbot for the military’s nonclassified internal network.
The project builds on a December 2024 cooperative research and development agreement tasking the company with fine-tuning an AI-enabled prototype conversation system for air force use.
Once complete, the chatbot will be plugged into the military’s private network, the Non-Secure Internet Protocol Router Network or “NIPERNET,” where it will help manage and relay sensitive but unclassified information.
Built-In ‘Expert’
EdgeRunner’s chief technology officer and co-founder Colton Malkerson said the company is focused on delivering an algorithm trainable for specific mission sets.
This on‑device virtual assistant acts as a real-world expert tailored to specific roles such as pilot, logistics officer, or field medic, providing instant access to critical technical data and calculated decisions during operations.
“We’re trying to give every warfighter expert advice in a bottle on the fly to help them make better decisions faster and make better decisions more safely,” Malkerson told National Defense.
Additional Features
One standout feature? It works offline. EdgeRunner’s chatbot system is independent from the internet and does not share user locations, which is a major plus for security-conscious environments.
When activated, the system can absorb new data, pulling in fresh info not included in the original download. And for transparency, every recommendation comes with source citations so users can double-check the details.
To keep things sharp, the chatbot gets quarterly updates packed with “faster models, better features, more performance, more optimizations, more capabilities.”
“Even though you’re running it locally on-device and you’re not connected to the cloud at all times, you still effectively have frontier model performance,” Malkerson said.
AI Chatbot at Sea, DoD Devices
Currently, EdgeRunner is engaged with a separate project to assemble and field generative AI technologies across ships.
It also launched an effort that allows US Department of Defense users to install and use the company’s proprietary chatbot on their respective devices for free.
