On October 28, 2024, the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) hosted the tenth iteration and first in-person meeting of the AI Partnership for Defense (PfD) at the Hyatt Regency in Reston, VA. The meeting, part of the CDAO’s 3-day RAI in Defense Forum on October 28-30, focused on Responsible AI (RAI) implementation.
Established by the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (now the CDAO) in 2020 and comprised of 16 member nations, the PfD fosters increased data, analytics, and AI collaboration among key allies and partners. PfD partners share knowledge and expertise on a wide range of critical topics, including RAI, data readiness, command and control, and human capital. After 3 years of virtual meetings, the gathering marked the PfD’s first face-to-face collaboration, emphasizing RAI as a global priority. The PfD has become a pivotal forum for the DoD to build AI readiness and capability in defense, in cooperation with international partners.
On day one of the RAI in Defense Forum, Chief Digital and AI Officer Radha Plumb kicked off the PfD by emphasizing its purpose and the importance of exploring RAI with international partners. “The AI Partnership for Defense provides a practical partnership to make real the transformational promise of AI in a way that is consistent with our values,” remarked Dr. Plumb.
The PfD brought members together for several panel discussions, tabletop exercises, and networking sessions focused on advancing the global conversation on operationalizing RAI. As intended, the gathering leveraged the PfD’s collective expertise and confidential setting to spur candid engagement on strategies for implementing RAI in defense. It seized a rare opportunity to discuss RAI technical capabilities and challenges with a diverse group of international stakeholders. The CDAO looks forward to future opportunities to convene the PfD in person.