Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Podcast Series

The recent explosion in large language model (LLM) technology has highlighted the challenges of using public generative artificial intelligence tools in classified environments, especially for software analysis. Currently, software analysis falls on the shoulders of static analysis tools and manual code review, which tend to provide limited technical depth and are often time-consuming in practice. In our latest podcast from the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Ryan Karl, an SEI embedded engineer, and John Robert, deputy director of the SEI's Software Solutions Division, discuss their work on using LLMs in unclassified environments to rapidly develop tools that accelerate software analysis in classified environments with improved accuracy for certain software analysis tasks.

Data breaches remind us of the importance of cyber resilience as an essential element of survivability and continuity of operations for all organizations, especially those operating mission-essential systems, high-value systems, and/or critical assets. Resilience is also critical to reducing the costs associated with security breaches as well as minimizing damage to mission-essential systems caused by adverse events. In our latest podcast from the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Patsy Bulisco, Analysis Team Lead in the SEI's CERT Division, sits down with Timothy Morrow, Situational Awareness Technical Manager, also in CERT, to discuss an approach to using data analytics as a "force multiplier" for cyber resilience and suggest best practices to help organizations gain situational awareness on their current security posture.

Software-defined warfare is today's reality for national security, shifting the emphasis in military operations from hardware to software. In the latest podcast from the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute, SEI director Paul Nielsen recently sat down with Matthew Butkovic, technical director of Risk and Resilience in the SEI's CERT Division, to discuss the evolution of software-defined warfare and the ways in which software engineering practices can meaningfully address the challenges of implementing software on the battlefield.

In aviation, waypoints guide pilots through complex flight plans, providing some structure but maintaining flexibility. Kevin Dooley, a senior Agile transformation leader at the SEI, adopted this concept to solve one of defense acquisition's most persistent challenges: synchronizing dozens of interdependent teams without drowning in administrative noise and overhead. In the latest podcast from the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute (SEI), Dooley, who co-developed the Waypoints Framework with Air Force Major Adam Satterfield, sits down with Eileen Wrubel, SEI technical director for Smart Software Acquisition to discuss Waypoints and how it can help teams visualize their work and own processes so they can start collaborating.

Experimentation and validation of LLM performance is critical when building LLM-driven systems that must reliably deliver a service, from customer service chat bots to intelligence analysis tools. To help teams meet the need for rigorous evaluation methods, a research team in the SEI's AI Division led by Violet Turri has developed the Evaluating Large Language Models (ELM) library, which is built on best practices for LLM evaluation and benchmarking. In the latest episode from the Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute, Turri sits down with Katie Robinson, a design researcher also in the SEI's AI division, to discuss the ELM library, which turns evaluation from an ad-hoc process into a repeatable, extensible framework.