U.S. Department of Defense Stands Up Chief Digital and AI Office — February 1, 2022
The Pentagon’s February 2022 Chief Digital and AI Office launch consolidated JAIC, DDS, and Advana, requiring defence teams to align operational roadmaps, governance, and vendor portfolios around mission data.
Executive briefing: On 1 February 2022 the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) formally stood up the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), merging the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), Defense Digital Service (DDS), and Chief Data Officer’s Advana platform under unified leadership. The CDAO is charged with accelerating data-centric decision making, scaling AI capabilities, and delivering digital talent across the Pentagon. Combatant commands, military departments, and defense agencies must align operational priorities, governance frameworks, and sourcing strategies to collaborate effectively with the CDAO and achieve Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) objectives.
Mandate and organisational structure
The CDAO reports directly to the Deputy Secretary of Defense and is organised around four directorates: Algorithmic Warfare, Advana and Decision Advantage, Digital Services, and Responsible AI. The office leads data governance policy, AI ethics implementation, digital talent pipelines, and mission acceleration initiatives. It coordinates closely with the Chief Information Officer, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, and the services’ digital transformation offices. The CDAO oversees governance bodies such as the Data Council, AI Executive Steering Group, and the Chief Digital and AI Council to align policy, investment, and implementation.
Operational priorities for defence components
Commands and agencies should support CDAO objectives by focusing on:
- Data management. Implement authoritative data inventories, metadata standards, and APIs that feed the Advana platform. Establish data stewards for mission-critical datasets and ensure compliance with DoD Instruction 8320.07 on data interoperability.
- Mission use cases. Identify high-impact AI and analytics use cases aligned with operational imperatives—such as predictive maintenance, intelligence fusion, and logistics optimisation—and submit proposals through the CDAO’s Mission Initiatives process.
- Infrastructure modernisation. Upgrade cloud environments, edge computing platforms, and DevSecOps pipelines to support AI model development, deployment, and monitoring. Leverage platforms like Platform One and Joint Common Foundation.
- Talent development. Participate in CDAO’s digital talent exchange, Digital University training programmes, and hiring initiatives that place data scientists, software engineers, and product managers within mission teams.
Operational leaders must coordinate with acquisition, cyber, and intelligence communities to ensure AI deployments meet security, accreditation, and mission assurance requirements.
Governance and responsible AI
The CDAO embeds responsible AI principles across the department. Governance steps include:
- Policy alignment. Update component-level AI policies to reflect DoD’s five AI ethical principles—responsible, equitable, traceable, reliable, and governable. Document how AI systems undergo testing, evaluation, verification, and validation (TEVV).
- Oversight boards. Establish component AI governance boards that review project proposals, assess risk levels, and enforce compliance with Responsible AI guidelines. Coordinate with the CDAO’s Responsible AI Division for high-risk use cases.
- Transparency. Maintain model documentation, data provenance records, and algorithm impact assessments. Provide CDAO with reporting on deployment status, performance metrics, and incidents.
- Cybersecurity integration. Align AI systems with Zero Trust Architecture initiatives and cybersecurity requirements, including continuous monitoring and adversarial resilience testing.
Governance structures should tie into existing processes like the Defense Acquisition System, PPBE (Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution), and operational test authorities.
Sourcing and acquisition strategy
The CDAO influences DoD acquisition approaches for digital and AI capabilities. Components should:
- Leverage existing contract vehicles. Utilize Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts such as the JAIC’s Tradewind, GSA’s Multiple Award Schedule, and Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) to acquire AI services rapidly.
- Embed data requirements. Include data rights, interoperability standards, and model lifecycle support in solicitations. Ensure contracts require delivery of training data, model documentation, and continuous improvement support.
- Vendor vetting. Assess industry partners for cybersecurity posture, responsible AI practices, and ability to integrate with DoD cloud enclaves. Engage non-traditional defense contractors through accelerators and challenges.
- Cost transparency. Implement cost accounting for AI initiatives, tracking development, infrastructure, and sustainment expenses to inform PPBE submissions and oversight reporting.
Acquisition teams should collaborate with the CDAO’s Acquisition Directorate and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to harmonise requirements and avoid duplicative investments.
Mission integration and change management
Successful collaboration with the CDAO requires cultural and process shifts:
- Mission command alignment. Embed data and AI objectives into operational plans, exercises, and wargames. Use pilot projects to demonstrate mission value and secure leadership buy-in.
- Change management. Deploy communication strategies explaining CDAO services, data-sharing expectations, and training opportunities. Establish feedback loops between mission units and CDAO teams.
- Interoperability. Ensure joint and coalition partners can consume AI-enabled products by conforming to data standards, security cross-domain solutions, and coalition releasability requirements.
- Metrics. Track mission outcomes—such as readiness improvements, decision cycle reductions, and cost savings—to validate AI investments.
Operational commands should capture lessons learned from early adopters and disseminate best practices through the Defense Knowledge Online portals and professional military education.
Industry collaboration and ecosystem building
The CDAO’s success depends on a resilient defense innovation ecosystem. Components should cultivate partnerships with federally funded research and development centers, university-affiliated research centers, and commercial AI labs to co-develop mission applications. Participation in accelerator programs like AFWERX, NavalX Tech Bridges, and Army Applications Lab can source dual-use technologies that transition into CDAO pipelines. Establish data-sharing agreements with trusted allies and industry consortia to expand training datasets while protecting classified information. Governance teams must coordinate export control compliance, intellectual property protections, and international traffic in arms regulations (ITAR) when collaborating with external partners.
Performance metrics and reporting
Monitor progress using metrics aligned with CDAO priorities:
- Number of datasets onboarded to Advana with metadata and quality scores.
- AI projects advanced through the CDAO Mission Initiatives pipeline and deployed to production.
- Percentage of workforce completing digital and AI training programs.
- Time-to-field for AI capabilities compared with baseline acquisition timelines.
- Compliance rates with Responsible AI assessments and cybersecurity controls.
Reports should feed into the CDAO governance councils, Deputy’s Workforce Council, and congressional oversight updates.
Future outlook
The CDAO will publish a DoD Data, Analytics, and AI Strategy, harmonise data standards across the services, and advance JADC2 experimentation. Partnerships with allied nations, such as the UK-U.S. AI defence dialogue, will inform interoperability. Components should anticipate evolving directives on digital talent management, data sharing with industry, and AI test infrastructure. Early investment in governance, operational alignment, and sourcing ensures mission units can exploit CDAO resources to maintain decision advantage.
Key resources
Zeph Tech equips defense teams with data governance, responsible AI oversight, and vendor orchestration aligned to the CDAO mandate.
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