Kathleen Hicks, deputy secretary of the Department of Defense and a three-time Wash100 awardee, has launched a strategy meant to help DOD accelerate the adoption of analytics, data and artificial intelligence to speed up the decision-making process on the battlefield.
The Chief Digital and AI Office developed the 2023 Data, Analytics and AI Adoption Strategy in collaboration with other DOD offices, the department said Thursday.
“As we’ve focused on integrating AI into our operations responsibly and at speed, our main reason for doing so has been straightforward: because it gives us even better decision advantage than we already have today,” Hicks said.
The strategy describes an agile approach to AI adoption to scale five decision advantage outcomes: superior battlespace awareness and understanding; adaptive force planning and application; fast, precise and resilient kill chains; resilient sustainment support; and efficient enterprise business operations.
The document outlines DOD’s strategic goals to meet its “AI hierarchy of needs,” which includes quality data, governance, insightful analytics and metrics, assurance and responsible AI.
The strategic goals are strengthening governance and removing policy barriers; delivering capabilities for enterprise business and joint warfighting impact; improving foundational data management; investing in interoperable, federated infrastructure; advancing the data, analytics and AI ecosystem; and expanding digital talent management.
“Accelerating the adoption of advanced data, analytics, and artificial intelligence technologies presents an unprecedented opportunity to equip Department leaders, at all levels, with the data they need, to make better decisions faster, from the boardroom to the battlefield,” said Craig Martell, head of CDAO.
“Our strategic approach prioritizes an agile approach to adoption by focusing on the fundamentals of speed, agility, responsibility, and learning,” added Martell, a 2023 Wash100 awardee.
