CDAO Archives

A poster at the Pentagon, Dec. 12, 2025, lets employees know that a new artificial intelligence tool is available to use at the War Department, and that employees are highly encouraged to use it. (Credit: C. Todd Lopez, DOW)

The era of GenAI.mil is here. Users have mixed reactions and many questions.

Last week, DOD unveiled the new platform to supply industry-built AI assets to almost its entire workforce.

Dec 18, 2025 By Brandi Vincent Drew F. Lawrence

Dr. Douglas Matty, then-Army Artificial Intelligence Task Force Director, spoke to Association of the United States Army annual meeting attendees during the October 13, 2021 Army Advanced Technologies (Cloud and Data) Warriors Corner event at Washington, D.C.’s Walter E. Washington Convention Center. (Photo by Edward Loomis)

Pentagon AI chief departing to work on Golden Dome effort

Principal Deputy CDAO Andrew Mapes will lead the Defense Department’s AI hub in an acting capacity until a new CDAO is hired.

Dec 17, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael tour multi-domain autonomous displays in the courtyard of the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., July 16, 2025. (DoD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Alexander Kubitza)

An early look at the Pentagon’s plan to deliver AI at scale under Trump

Undersecretary of Defense Emil Michael shared details about the DOD's forthcoming pursuits to accelerate AI for in-office functions and modern warfare.

Dec 8, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

Sean Batir moderates a panel at the Billington Cybersecurity Summit in Washington Sept. 12, 2025. (Photo by Brandi Vincent)

Transparency is key as AI gets smarter, experts say

Cybersecurity panelists spotlighted multiple risks and threats posed by emerging frontier AI applications.

Sep 15, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

A person holds a telephone displaying the logo of Elon Musk s artificial intelligence grok in front of a background lit by a blue light in Kerlouan in Brittany in France on February 18 2025. (Photo by Vincent Feuray/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

Hegseth asked to defend Pentagon’s ‘uniquely troubling’ deal with Musk-owned xAI

The company xAI was recently awarded a $200 million contract by the Defense Department.

Sep 11, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

Stephen Feinberg, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Deputy Secretary of Defense, testifies during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on February 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Feinberg orders major shakeup in Pentagon’s AI enterprise

DefenseScoop obtained a memo directing the realignment.

Aug 15, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

Experts worry about transparency, unforeseen risks as DOD forges ahead with new frontier AI projects

Also called foundation models, frontier AI refers to sophisticated, constantly evolving, cutting-edge systems that are becoming increasingly intelligent at completing tasks like natural language processing, computer vision…

Aug 4, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Radha Plumb announces the sunsetting of Task Force Lima and formation of an AI Rapid Capabilities Office at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Dec. 11, 2024. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Madelyn Keech)

Former Pentagon CDAO Radha Plumb takes AI transformation role at IBM

As part of her role, Plumb will be IBM's "Client Zero," meaning she will internally operationalize AI technologies and concepts to test them before deploying to clients.

Jul 28, 2025 By Billy Mitchell

A view of the Pentagon on December 13, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Future of Advana data platform unclear as Pentagon halts AI multiple award contract

Pentagon leadership recently paused the Chief Digital and AI Office’s program to re-compete a high-dollar contract for its widely used enterprise data and analytics platform, Advana, according…

Jul 23, 2025 By Brandi Vincent

(Apr. 10, 2018) Ms. Margaret G. Palmieri, director, Navy Digital Warfare, addresses attendees at the Artificial Intelligence panel during the 2018 Sea-Air-Space Exposition. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Lauren K. Jennings/Released)

Longtime CDAO deputy Margie Palmieri poised to depart defense AI hub

One of the earliest CDAO employees, Palmieri was tapped to serve as its first-ever deputy chief in 2022, soon after the office was announced.

Jul 21, 2025 By Brandi Vincent