Pentagon Appoints Technical and Strategic Expert to Lead DoD’s Acceleration in Adopting Data, Analytics, and AI to Create Decisional Advantage
ARLINGTON, VA – In a ceremony held today at the Pentagon, Dr. Radha Plumb was officially sworn in as the Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO). Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III administered the oath of office to Plumb, with family and colleagues in attendance. Plumb most recently served as Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment.
“It is an honor to serve in this role at a critical time for our nation. AI and digital innovation provide critical new technologies and capabilities for our warfighters,” Plumb said. “I look forward to collaborating with our allies and partners, from military leaders to industry partners and academia, to ensure we deliver digital and AI technological advances at speed and scale. ”
Plumb assumes the role of CDAO having completed his last assignment working acquisition matters for DoD, including building and maintaining a strong national security industrial base and supply chain. She brings significant technical expertise in data and AI development, as well as creative acquisition methods with strategic acumen to advance CDAO’s innovation efforts. His combination of government and industry experience will provide a unique advantage for the rapid adoption of data, analytics, and AI across DOD.
Prior to working with the DoD, Plumb has held various industry positions to include Google, RAND and Facebook. Plumb received his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University and earlier in her career, she was an assistant professor at the London School of Economics and a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Scholar at Harvard.
About CDAO
CDAO became operational in June 2022 and is dedicated to integrating and improving artificial intelligence capabilities across the DoD. The office is responsible for accelerating DoD’s adoption of data, analytics and AI, enabling the Department’s digital infrastructure and policy to adapt to scalable AI-powered solutions for enterprise and shared use cases. can be provided, to protect the nation from current and emerging threats.