DOD Chief Digital and AI Office Hosts Responsible AI in Defense Forum

Today, the Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) concluded its "Responsible AI in Defense Forum," a 3-day event that brought together defense leaders, AI experts, policymakers, and global innovators to focus on advancements in Responsible AI (RAI), held at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, VA, Oct. 28-30.

The Responsible AI in Defense Forum provided an opportunity to discuss technical capabilities and challenges with diverse stakeholders and to examine RAI in the context of international military cooperation.

"Over the last dozen years, as advances in machine learning yielded new breakthroughs, we've worked hard at the Pentagon to be a global leader in establishing responsible policies for military use of autonomous systems and AI," said Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks during a keynote address delivered via video. "From the beginning, DoD's approach to responsible AI has been guided by our understanding that AI will only be used and effective where it is trusted and trustworthy. Today we're at the forefront of accelerating the adoption of trusted AI, and we can't afford to fall behind."

The multiple-day Forum was designed to explore a different topic each day, with participation aligned to the topic. On day one, CDAO led a meeting among the Partnership for Defense's (PfD) 16 members to examine strategies and tools for enabling RAI across defense enterprises. On day two, CDAO convened government, industry, and academic experts for a series of discussions on operationalizing RAI in defense. Finally, day three featured a closed-door meeting focused on aligning NATO allies and partners with RAI implementation strategies. Each day of the Forum helped advance the CDAO's critically important work around the responsible implementation of AI in defense.

CDAO Dr. Radha Plumb kicked off the Forum with the AI Partnership for Defense.

"The RAI in Defense Forum - and first-ever in-person PfD on Responsible AI - provided an unprecedented opportunity for the Department to connect its practical Responsible AI tools and guidance with critical partners to build leadership on global Responsible AI standards and practices," stated Plumb.

The CDAO is pleased to have hosted this pivotal gathering, having achieved its key objectives of strengthening CDAO's relationships with PfD partners, sharing RAI implementation lessons learned, and promoting RAI globally. As a result of this effort, the CDAO looks forward to accelerated progress in RAI, both at home and abroad.

About the CDAO

The CDAO became operational in June 2022 and is dedicated to integrating and optimizing AI capabilities across the DoD. The office is responsible for accelerating the DoD's adoption of data, analytics, and AI, enabling the Department's digital infrastructure and policy adoption to deliver scalable AI-driven solutions for enterprise and joint use cases, safeguarding the nation against current and emerging threats.

For more information about the CDAO, please visit our website at ai.mil. You can also connect with the CDAO on LinkedIn (@ DoD Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office) and X, formally known as Twitter (@dodcdao). Additional updates and news can be found on the CDAO Unit Page on DVIDS.