DoD Names Radha Iyengar Plumb as New Chief Digital and AI Officer

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has recently announced Dr. Radha Iyengar Plumb as its new Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO).

Plumb will replace Craig Martell, who was appointed the department’s first CDAO. She is currently serving as the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and will take over from Martell from April 8 2024.

“Craig and the entire CDAO team had a monumental task of bringing together the diverse talents and cultures of four organizations to advance data, AI, and analytics for our national security, and deliver tangible results in a short time. Dr. Martell and the CDAO team have delivered on those goals and his work will have a lasting impact on how the Department approaches every data and AI driven task,” said Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin in a statement.

While mentioning Plumb, Secretary Austin said that there is no doubt that Dr. Plumb's technical expertise and strategic acumen will enhance the CDAO's innovative efforts, and help accelerate the DoD's adoption of data, analytics, and AI to generate decision advantage from the boardroom to the battlefield.

Reportedly, the DoD is also conducting a thorough evaluation aimed at determining the overall impact and "effectiveness" of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office's (CDAO) procurement, strategy, and policy development, as well as its adoption of AI.

The evaluation is a part of the watchdog's continuous series of oversight projects focused on monitoring the Defense Department's execution of AI initiatives.