Future Program: Decentralized Artificial Intelligence through Controlled Emergence (DICE)

The contract focuses on the development of the DICE program, which aims to advance theories and algorithms for decentralized coordination and local inference control among heterogeneous AI agents. This initiative seeks to create a scalable, adaptive, and resilient system capable of autonomously completing long-duration missions in contested environments while maintaining human oversight. It distinguishes itself from traditional centralized control methods, which tend to be rigid and fragile, and from unpredictable ad hoc agent groupings by emphasizing self-organizing principles modeled after the internet's scalable and resilient architecture. The goal is to ensure that the collective behavior of AI agents remains predictable, aligned with intended outcomes, and safe to deploy in complex operational scenarios. This program is solicited by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency under solicitation number DARPA-SN-26-65, with responses due by May 29, 2026. It falls under the NAICS code 541715, relating to research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences. The contract originates from DARPA's office in Arlington, Virginia, and is classified as a special-notice type. The point of contact for this solicitation is the solicitation coordinator reachable via the provided DARPA email address. This effort is positioned to significantly enhance the capabilities of defense AI systems through innovative decentralized architectures while maintaining necessary human control.