Decision Intelligence: How Artificial Intelligence Can Modernize Market Research in Department of Defense Acquisition
Market research is a statutory requirement under FAR Part 10 and the strategic foundation of sound defense acquisition. This paper examines how AI-enabled tools can modernize market research across its full lifecycle, from RFI analysis and open-source aggregation to multi-source synthesis and report Generation.Drawing on subject matter expert interviews and industry demonstrations during a webinar co-hosted by NDIA ETI and MITRE, the paper identifies structural weaknesses in current market research practices, including fragmented data ecosystems, workforce time constraints, and limited analytical tooling. It then presents case studies illustrating how AI can compress analytical timelines, improve defensibility, and elevate strategic reasoning while preserving human oversight.
The paper concludes with five implementation recommendations spanning governance frameworks, data-sharing arrangements, outcome-based metrics, sandbox experimentation, and standardized analytical prompts.
