An APL engineer modifies a robot to test its navigation algorithms

Artificial Intelligence

Engineering with intelligence

Designing, building, and applying new technologies—especially those that include artificial intelligence—can be a double-edged sword: powerful and enabling on the one hand, but potentially biased and vulnerable to infiltration on the other.

From health care to planetary defense and national security, Johns Hopkins APL continues to make advances in AI to ensure the technology’s capabilities while identifying, minimizing, or eliminating its weaknesses.

A Laboratory-wide collaborative community of AI researchers and applied scientists works in domains from beneath the sea to outer space to innovatively incorporate autonomy, computer vision, machine learning, agentic AI, and other techniques across the breadth of our programs and projects. Internally funded AI exploration and research help us take bold steps in this realm to continue advancing AI for the good of the nation and the world.

Featured Facility
Intelligent Systems Center

Intelligent Systems Center →

The Intelligent Systems Center (ISC) leverages APL’s broad expertise across national security, space exploration, and health to fundamentally advance the employment of intelligent systems for our nation’s critical challenges. The ISC acts as a focal point for research and development in artificial intelligence, robotics, and neuroscience at APL.


Learn more about Intelligent Systems Center

Related Projects

Raphael Norman-Tenazas, neuro-AI researcher, tests a robot navigation strategy inspired by the fruit fly connectome.

Neuroscience-Inspired Artificial Intelligence

Developing next-generation algorithms and computing substrates that leverage neurobiology to revolutionize intelligent systems
Learn more about Neuroscience-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
Visualization of machine learning

Revolutionizing Materials Discovery for National Security

APL is reimagining and accelerating the targeted discovery of materials tailored to withstand and perform in the most demanding conditions, ensuring enhanced capabilities in extreme environments.
Learn more about Revolutionizing Materials Discovery for National Security
Neil Fendley, machine learning researcher, demonstrates a backdoor adversarial attack he embedded in a computer vision application.

Robust and Resilient Artificial Intelligence

Developing the next generation of intelligent systems for missions characterized by uncertain, dynamic, and adversarial environments
Learn more about Robust and Resilient Artificial Intelligence
Illustration of a software stack

SMART Stack: Enabling Error-Resilient Quantum Computing

Understanding and mitigating quantum noise and errors across the full stack of hardware and software
Learn more about SMART Stack: Enabling Error-Resilient Quantum Computing
Swarming unmanned surface vehicles

Swarming Uncrewed Surface Vehicles

APL, in collaboration with the Naval Air Warfare Center Port Hueneme Weapons Division, led a swarming uncrewed surface vehicle demonstration of advanced multivehicle autonomy at tactically relevant speeds.
Learn more about Swarming Uncrewed Surface Vehicles
This artist rendering depicts APL-developed algorithms enabling multirobot coordination across dynamic terrain. (Credit: Johns Hopkins APL)

Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver

Enabling scalable, real-time solutions for autonomous teams
Learn more about Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver
Autonomous swarming unmanned surface vessels (SUSVs) — equipped with Johns Hopkins APL-developed hardware and autonomy software

Uncrewed Surface Vessel Perception

International regulations for preventing collisions at sea require vessels to operate within certain distances based on the visual identification of other vessels.
Learn more about Uncrewed Surface Vessel Perception

Related News

APL Microsoft Robotics Demo
Press Release

Dec 2, 2025

Johns Hopkins APL and Microsoft’s AI Agent Orchestrates Robotic Teams

APL and Microsoft recently demonstrated an AI agent that can coordinate heterogeneous robot teams using large language models. The September demo highlighted how APL’s expertise in autonomy software and Microsoft’s scalable cloud tools are advancing the future of collaborative robotics. The effort reflects steady progress in a partnership focused on applying artificial intelligence to real-world challenges.
Learn more about Johns Hopkins APL and Microsoft’s AI Agent Orchestrates Robotic Teams
USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in Dry Dock 6 post dewatering at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Wash., March 5, 2018 (Credit: US Navy/Thiep Nguyen)
Press Release

Nov 12, 2025

New Robotic Arm Opens Doors to Explore Future of Maritime Repair

Johns Hopkins APL has installed a state-of-the-art robotic arm to advance repair and manufacturing for the maritime industrial base. Using wire arc additive manufacturing and advanced sensing technologies, the system makes faster, more precise repairs of oversized components possible—strengthening fleet readiness and reducing costs. This innovation builds on APL’s commitment to supporting Navy sustainment and industrial agility.
Learn more about New Robotic Arm Opens Doors to Explore Future of Maritime Repair
Rendering of holographic soldiers walking through a digital environment (Credit: Adobe Stock)
News

Oct 30, 2025

Johns Hopkins APL Establishes AI Wargaming Lab to Boost Strategic National Security Analysis and Planning

APL is fusing its analytic and cutting-edge AI capabilities into a forward-leaning incubator, known as GenWar Lab, that leverages advanced AI and large language model capabilities to support the wargames and tabletop exercises that enable military decision-makers to explore dynamic and wide-ranging mission scenarios.
Learn more about Johns Hopkins APL Establishes AI Wargaming Lab to Boost Strategic National Security Analysis and Planning
Furnace in APL's TETRA facility (Credit: Johns Hopkins APL)
News

Sep 17, 2025

An Accelerated Paradigm for Developing Mission-Critical Materials

Scientists and engineers at Johns Hopkins APL are applying artificial intelligence and robotics to dramatically accelerate the process of designing, testing and optimizing metallic components for the defense industrial base.
Learn more about An Accelerated Paradigm for Developing Mission-Critical Materials
Andrew Mara
Press Release

Sep 8, 2025

Mara Named Head of Force Projection Sector at Johns Hopkins APL

Andrew Mara has been named head of the Force Projection Sector at APL. Mara joined APL in 2023 as the head of the National Security Analysis Department, where he led the development of advanced technical capabilities to enable high-impact analyses of strategic challenges.
Learn more about Mara Named Head of Force Projection Sector at Johns Hopkins APL

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