A career in the British Army has given Major James McEvoy infinite opportunities, and the officer who signed up to serve with the Royal Corps of Signals (R SIGNALS), never imagined in a million ‘light years’ that he would land a job at the UK Space Command.
Based in Buckinghamshire and staffed by Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, alongside civil servants and contractors, its mission is to protect and defend UK and allied interests in, to and from space.
I’ve been extremely lucky to have had several moments where I have had to pinch myself and check what I’m actually doing – using a quantum computer, working with AI, and now working at UK Space Command."MAJOR JAMES MCEVOY,
ROYAL CORPS OF SIGNALS
Major McEvoy was until recently commanding a squadron of over 100 soldiers, who support the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), and were transitioning from the Royal Signals to Queen’s Gurkha Signals. He described the role as “a dream come true” and enjoyed being part of “this unique culture” but said he had been lucky with his career to embrace his “two big passions.”
“I’ve completed the Advanced Space Operations Course through the military and have been able to write articles on Artificial Intelligence (AI). It’s been great to bring these interests into my work,” he explained.
“Serving has given me the opportunity to work with AI and I am really enjoying learning more about this role and being able to contribute. With a degree in Classics and Philosophy, I am not sure I would have found myself in this position, and probably not have been given a chance to brief and lecture on it.”
Part of a team that was able to deploy the Army’s first use of AI in an operational theatre was “fascinating,” for Sam as he is known to colleagues, family and friends:
“Seeing it start doing what it was meant to, and then in some cases surpassing those expectations, is beyond incredible. How often in your life do you look at something and think ‘this is going to change everything’?
“AI is the next industrial revolution. It isn’t going to replace our need for an Army or our people, but Armies that use AI will replace those that don’t. You can’t understate the importance of embracing AI and using it to enhance how we operate; it isn’t a choice.”
Read the full article at https://www.army.mod.uk/news-and-events
