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IHMC chief details robotics, AI and health research, cites $26 million DARPA awards and growing state support
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Summary
Dr. Morley Stone, CEO of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, told the subcommittee IHMC focuses on AI as 'amplified intelligence,' robotics and human healthspan research, and cited two $26 million DARPA grants plus a state appropriation increase to $9.3 million; members discussed auditability, civilian applications and cybersecurity costs.
The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) outlined its research portfolio and funding outlook to the Higher Education Budget Subcommittee on Monday. Dr. Morley Stone, the institute’s CEO, described three core research areas—AI and machine learning, robotics (including bipedal robots and exoskeletons) and human healthspan, resilience and performance—and said IHMC pursues human-centered design across projects.
Stone provided budget figures and recent awards: he said IHMC’s state appropriation for the prior fiscal year was about $7.3 million and that the appropriation increased to $9.3 million for the subsequent year. He told lawmakers IHMC recently received two DARPA grants of about $26,000,000 each and several other federal awards, and that grants-and-contracts funding is substantially larger and more volatile than state appropriations.
Stone described defense-oriented programs—modeling 'gray zone' conflict for planning tools and DARPA work—and civilian-facing projects such as a National Institutes of Health aging study that enrolled older adults in a 12-week intervention. He said IHMC deploys field labs when sponsors request operational testing; for example, IHMC ran a field lab at Fort Benning for a study related to airborne training and concussion risk.
Members asked about the societal implications of advanced AI and job displacement. Representative Franklin raised concerns about technology replacing human labor and auditability; Stone called his approach 'amplified intelligence' rather than replacement and said most contemporary neural-net approaches are not auditable—limiting their use where legally auditable, mission-critical decisions are needed. He emphasized the need for trust, transparency and rigorous evaluation in human-machine teaming.
Stone also described applied interventions: when Representative Aristide asked about concussion research, Stone discussed a study using a ketone monoester as a prophylactic to help restore cognitive function after severe sleep deprivation and said he would give the supplement to a child playing contact sports, noting the need for clinical validation. Members and Stone discussed opportunities to apply IHMC work to first responders and local agencies; Stone pointed to outreach programs, workshops and pilot projects IHMC has run with local stakeholders.
Stone noted rising compliance costs tied to federal research: controlled unclassified information (CUI) rules and CMMC cybersecurity certification are increasingly required by federal sponsors and cannot be charged to awards, so state funding helps IHMC build infrastructure and compete for federal grants. The subcommittee did not take action; Stone said IHMC intends to continue both defense and civilian research and outreach.
