Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and predictive analytics are increasingly viewed as a matter of national security. Federal government IT experts expect that in 2022 and beyond, this trend will drive new policy initiatives and investments that could advance further development of these technologies. This will likely expand their application in the Defense Department and, to some extent, civilian agencies. Public federal spending on AI/ML rose to nearly $1 billion in fiscal year 2020 -- a 50 percent increase from fiscal year 2018 -- making it one of the fastest growing emerging technology investment areas, says Bill Wright, director of federal government affairs at Splunk. Earlier this year, the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence released its final report to Congress, urging more funding for AI/ML to better compete with China and others, Wright says.