The Office of the Chief of Staff for Digital and Artificial Intelligence has completed an AI adoption strategy and implementation plan for the Department of Defense’s AI Charter Directive. This is an important step for the fledgling agency that will help define the agency’s role and responsibilities in managing DoD data, analytics, and artificial intelligence. A commitment to intelligence.
The agency provided the implementation plan to the Pentagon’s Office of the Inspector General shortly before the November release of an IG report assessing the effectiveness of the CDAO’s development of the Pentagon’s AI strategies and policies.
And DoD AI policy in the form of the Chartering Directive was made public days after the release of the IG report, fulfilling the second position of the DoD IG’s policy-focused recommendations for the CDAO.
“I think the involvement of the Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General was very helpful in guiding them through the development, which resulted in them providing us with that implementation plan as part of their formal management comment. ” the inspector general told Federal News Network.
“And this directive or charter will go a long way in helping departments understand the role and responsibilities of the Office of the Chief Executive for Digital and Artificial Intelligence. That was another big milestone that happened. That was another thing where we knew that as the Office of the Inspector General, we could help the department move forward and accelerate the timeline to get it across the finish line.”
Although the implementation plan and directives have been finalized, the implementation instructions for the Charter Directives are still in draft form. Both the Charter Directive and the Implementing Direction serve as fundamental policy tools that clearly define the CDAO’s mission, functions, relationships, and authority regarding the adoption and integration of data, analytics, and AI capabilities by the Department of Defense.
CDAO does not control this process. The Department of Defense’s Washington Headquarters Service, which is responsible for government oversight, is currently reviewing the directive. Reviews can take weeks or even months to complete.
“They are moving it through the process. We will continue to communicate with the CDAO and keep them updated on the situation this week. We expect it to happen soon, but there is no specific deadline. But if they Once we reach that conclusion, we will move forward and finalize our final recommendations,” Edwards said.
The Charter Directive is about two years late — Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks has directed the CDAO and the Office of the Administrator to develop the Department of Defense’s AI policy in 2022. Delays in both implementation plans and policy directives has created confusion about the Digital and Artificial Intelligence Chief Intelligence Agency’s role and responsibilities for DoD data, analytics, and AI, as well as between the CDAO and the Defense Department’s Chief Intelligence Agency.
CDAO and Department of Defense CIO officials told the IG Office, “As organizations understand the term ‘infrastructure,’ especially as it relates to information technology and cloud-based systems, including AI, ‘digital infrastructure’ There is no consensus on what “structure” encompasses.”
“CDAO officials stated that this disagreement has caused both the CDAO and the DoD CIO to become concerned that some of the responsibilities of the CDAO and the DoD CIO may overlap.” the IG report states.
Since the IG Office began its analysis in January, CDAO and the DoD CIO have begun working together to address these issues. Both offices are developing new AI accounting databases. It tracks AI spending across departments and helps make informed decisions going forward. Investing in AI. This database would help address concerns both agencies had about potential budget duplication.
“That is something we can do and will continue to follow up on, not the core recommendations of this report. “There are financial and budget issues that could be a potential project for them,” Edwards said.
Although the focus of this IG report is primarily on governance and policy, the agency plans to shift its focus to the acquisition and development of AI products and services in the future. As for 2025, Edwards said his office will work on a number of AI-related initiatives, including projects Maven and Replicator.
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