Pentagon moves AI office under research division to accelerate military adoption

The Department of Defense has moved its Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) to report directly under the Under Secretary for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E)), effective immediately. This organizational realignment represents the Pentagon’s latest effort to accelerate AI adoption across military operations through a unified “AI-first” strategy that connects research capabilities with battlefield implementation.

The big picture: The restructuring positions AI development within the DoD’s research and engineering arm, creating what officials describe as a “powerful innovation engine” designed to deliver AI superiority from laboratory to battlefield.

Why this matters: By placing the CDAO under USD(R&E), the Pentagon aims to streamline AI and data modernization efforts across all military branches under a single strategic framework.

What they’re saying: “By aligning the CDAO under the USD(R&E), we create a powerful innovation engine that can deliver AI superiority from laboratory to battlefield,” a defense official told MeriTalk, a government technology publication.
• “This realignment is the next step in making a uniform, AI-first push for the [DoD].”

Key details: The move consolidates the Pentagon’s digital transformation efforts under the research and engineering division, which traditionally oversees technology development and innovation initiatives.
• The CDAO was previously positioned as a separate entity within the DoD’s organizational structure.
• The realignment is described as part of the Pentagon’s broader strategy to unify artificial intelligence and data modernization across military operations.