Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks released a statement marking the first anniversary of the Department of Defense's (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO). She highlighted advancements in situational awareness and data-driven decision-making, solidifying the DoD's position as a global leader in defense technology.
"I've seen clearly over the last year that our investments in data and AI are yielding returns much faster than most new defense capabilities," Hicks said, according to a July 19 news release. "We don't have to wait multiple years or a decade for them to bear fruit; they're producing and delivering for the warfighter in the here and now, in matters of months, weeks, and even days."
According to the release, the CDAO was established to accelerate the adoption of data, analytics and AI throughout the Defense Department, recognizing their crucial role in maintaining an edge in 21st-century strategic competition.
"Just over one year later, we're seeing the impact of bringing four powerful DoD organizations together to craft policies, develop capabilities, collaborate with industry, and innovate at speed and scale for the warfighter," Hicks said in the release.
One of the key accomplishments highlighted by Hicks is the utilization of cleaner datasets, which has empowered AI models and machine learning algorithms to rapidly detect specific maritime targets and acoustic signatures, the release said. This advancement has significantly enhanced the DoD's situational awareness and ability to respond swiftly to emerging threats.
Additionally, tens of thousands of personnel now utilize business performance metrics, providing senior leaders with a more rapid and accurate means of measuring outcomes across the DoD, the release reported. This data-driven approach facilitates informed decision-making and enables the allocation of resources where they are most needed.
Furthermore, the collaboration between military commanders and deployed data science teams at every Combatant Command has proven highly effective, according to the release. These collaborations tackle the most challenging issues faced by warfighters while integrating data across applications, systems and users. The result is a holistic understanding of complex problems and the ability to implement targeted and effective solutions.
The creation of a data integration layer for Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) has significantly improved joint operations and combat integration capabilities. This breakthrough enhances the DoD's ability to synchronize and optimize military assets across all domains, ensuring a superior decision advantage in the modern battlespace, Hicks said in the release.
Hicks mentioned the DoD has also been conducting a series of Global Information Dominance Experiments, focusing on advancing the digital infrastructure of AI systems, data-centric workflows and command and control concepts, the release said. These experiments are propelling the U.S. military's decision advantage to new heights, reinforcing its position as a global leader in information dominance.
