The Army is launching two new programs this fall as it builds its talent management efforts in the areas of artificial intelligence and data science, a senior commander said.

First up is a master’s degree program at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where the Army’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force is based, said Gen. Mike Murray, commander of Army Futures Command. 

The Army also is creating a yearlong program for young officers, NCOs and warrant officers, he said.

“I’m convinced that the Army has got to start now to build the talent they’re going to need in the future environment if machine learning and artificial intelligence are going to be important to us—and I’m convinced that it is,” Murray said during a recent edition of the Association of the U.S. Army’s Thought Leaders webinar series.

In the fall, the Army will send a “handful” of uniformed and civilian employees to earn a master’s in data science from Carnegie Mellon, Murray said. It also will create what is “fundamentally a digital master gunner’s course” for young officers, NCOs and warrant officers, he said. 

Futures Command also has received approval from Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to create a software factory in Austin, Texas, where the command has its headquarters. The software factory will offer six- to 12-week basic software courses and give soldiers a chance to work with the growing tech industry in Austin and sharpen their skills before returning to their units, Murray said.

“I’m convinced we’ve got to get this talent identified, and I’m convinced we’ve got it in our formations,” he said.