DISA turns to AI, automation to bridge workforce gaps, attempts to stay on track with JWCC 2.0

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jason Boyd, of DISA, Joint Interoperability Test Command, inspects components in a server rack. (David Abizaid / DISA)

By Carley Welch • May 10, 2025

The Defense Information System Agency is exploring using automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning to find and fill capabilities gaps brought on by workforce vacancies, the director of DISA’s J9 Hosting and Compute hub, said Tuesday.

Jeff Marshall told reporters here in Baltimore that the deferred resignation program coupled with the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments (VSIP) programs have left the agency with fewer people, causing his team to have to get creative with how it fulfills its mission needs. He said the J9 is working across other parts of DISA to determine where the biggest gaps lie and the best ways to fill them.

“How do I do the same level of effort that I was applying before, but without those people in place?” Marshall asked. “The clear answer is automation and AI and machine [learning].”