Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) Activities

Abstract

The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) supports the Department's initiatives to build enduring advantage and build a resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem. The CDAO is responsible for strengthening and integrating data, artificial intelligence, and digital solutions in the Department in support of the National Defense Strategy and Section 1513 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2023. The functions of the CDAO are as follows: lead and oversee the DoD’s strategy development and policy formulation for data, analytics, and AI; break down barriers to data and AI adoption; create enabling digital infrastructure and services; selectively scale and provide digital and AI-enabled solutions focused on enterprise and joint use cases; and surge digital services. The CDAO will continue priority projects that align to the mission. This includes expanding the enterprise data repository; establishing a responsible AI ecosystem; developing the AI and Data Accelerator (ADA) initiative; and developing a Data, Analytics, and AI Adoption Strategy. These various lines of effort will support the overarching mission of accelerating the Department’s adoption of data, analytics, and AI to preserve decision advantage across the Joint Force. The mission of the AI/ML Scaffolding project is developing, providing, brokering, and advising on the infrastructure, data, tools, services and best practices needed to accelerate appropriate AI/ML development and adoption. Responsible Artificial Intelligence (RAI) is critical to decision makers, warfighters, industry partners, and public trust in the technologies that the Department develops and deploys CDAO RAI effort: - Operationalizes the DoD AI Ethical Principles - Oversees the Deputy Secretary of Defense’s RAI Strategy and Implementation Pathway (S&IP) - Coordinates with offices throughout the DoD and federal government - Integrates RAI to build capacity of best practices and tools for AI

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2025
Source ID
0606135D8Z_6_0400_PB_2025
Change Summary Explanation
FY 2023 SBIR/STTR transfer -$0.479; WHS transfer -$0.259
Service Agency Name
Office of the Secretary Of Defense

Entities

Organizations

  • Office of the Secretary of Defense

Tags

Readers

  • Defense Technology Research and Development.
  • Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
  • Geospatial Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence Analytics

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - DoD AI Strategy

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