Protopia AI Secures $1.25M Air Force Contract for Secure Coding LLMs
Protopia AI, a specialist in AI data protection and privacy-enhancing technologies, has secured a $1.25 million contract from the U.S. Air Force. This agreement, a Direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award, aims to facilitate the secure integration of proprietary code with AI developer tools, particularly large language models (LLMs) designed for coding.
In partnership with the Air Force Sustainment Center Software Directorate (AFSC/SW), Protopia AI will deploy its flagship product, Stained Glass Transform (SGT). This technology is designed to shield proprietary code from exposure when used with coding LLMs, ensuring that prompts for AI inference do not compromise sensitive information. The initiative seeks to empower Air Force software development teams to securely leverage cost-efficient generative AI for their projects.
The potential applications of SGT are broad, including the secure deployment of on-premises AI infrastructure to host coding LLMs. This will enable various teams within the AFSC/SW to interact securely with AI and developer tools, eliminating the risk of exposing their codebases in plain text on shared infrastructure. By providing secure access to these cutting-edge productivity tools, Protopia AI aims to accelerate software development and testing efforts across the organization, all while maintaining robust security and cost efficiency.
Eiman Ebrahimi, CEO and Co-Founder of Protopia AI, expressed gratitude for the AFWERX Direct-to-Phase II award and enthusiasm for the partnership with the AFSC/SW Directorate. "This collaboration underscores the critical need for dual-use technologies that facilitate the secure and cost-efficient adoption of generative AI in both mission-critical defense environments and commercial applications," Ebrahimi stated. He emphasized the importance of enabling Air Force and Department of Defense software development teams to harness the power of large language models without jeopardizing the confidentiality and proprietary nature of their code, especially as AI-based productivity tools become integral to LLM-generated value.
The contract was awarded through a highly competitive selection process via the AFRL/AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This program is designed to encourage small businesses to engage in federal research and development with significant potential for commercialization. For Protopia AI, this award marks a substantial milestone, reinforcing its standing as a trusted and innovative technology partner for military and government agencies. The company anticipates continuing to deliver advanced solutions tailored to its clients' unique operational requirements.