The Department of Defense has moved its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to report directly under the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)), effective immediately. This organizational realignment represents the Pentagon’s latest effort to accelerate AI adoption across military operations through a unified “AI-first” strategy that connects research capabilities with battlefield implementation.
The big picture: The restructuring positions AI development within the DoD’s research and engineering arm, creating what officials describe as a “powerful innovation engine” designed to deliver AI superiority from laboratory to battlefield.
Why this matters: By placing the CDAO under USD(R&E), the Pentagon aims to streamline AI and data modernization efforts across all military branches under a single strategic framework.
What they’re saying: “By aligning the CDAO under the USD(R&E), we create a powerful innovation engine that can deliver AI superiority from laboratory to battlefield,” a defense official told MeriTalk, a government technology publication.
• “This realignment is the next step in making a uniform, AI-first push for the [DoD].”
Key details: The move consolidates the Pentagon’s digital transformation efforts under the research and engineering division, which traditionally oversees technology development and innovation initiatives.
• The CDAO was previously positioned as a separate entity within the DoD’s organizational structure.
• The realignment is described as part of the Pentagon’s broader strategy to unify artificial intelligence and data modernization across military operations.
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