DoD CDAO holds Ninth AI Partnership for Defense

The Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office held the latest meeting of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Partnership for Defense (PfD) on April 10 – 11, 2024. The PfD, held virtually, is a forum for 16 like-minded defense institutions to discuss best practices on data and AI transformation in defense. This occurrence of the PfD focused on acquisition and partnerships.

 In opening comments, Chief Digital and AI Officer Dr. Radha Plumb stressed the importance of working with allies and partners globally. “The combined knowledge provided by all of us is extraordinary and unique, making this partnership a critical forum to advance our shared interests and collectively problem-solve,” said Dr. Plumb. 

During the two-day dialogue, participants collaborated on topics that aid transformational approaches to acquisition and partnerships, enabling integration of critical AI talent and cutting-edge technologies. The PfD featured presentations, case studies, and roundtables with leading experts from across the globe. 

Principal Deputy CDAO Ms. Margie Palmieri provided closing comments highlighting how PfD discussions consistently illustrate the ability of participants to learn together on the AI journey. “By sharing our individual experiences and lessons learned, we gain a better collective understanding of good practices and make progress faster, together,” said Ms. Palmieri. 

The PfD, established in 2020, attracts senior defense officials and subject matter experts from around the world and has fostered increased data, analytics, and AI collaboration among key allies and partners. In the forum, partners share knowledge and expertise on a wide range of critical topics, including responsible AI, data readiness, AI partnerships, command and control, and human capital. The PfD has created a community of niche experts among advanced, like-minded nations working toward responsibly adopting AI in defense, shifting defense cultures and ecosystems, and fostering a modern defense force that can advance AI-enabled interoperability. 

About the CDAO The CDAO was established in June 2022 and is dedicated to integrating and optimizing artificial intelligence 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.