Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) - MIP

The Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) - MIP program, detailed under Program Element (PE) 0604124D8Z, is managed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and funded through the Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, Defense-Wide appropriation. The primary goal of this program is to strengthen and integrate digital, data, and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities across the Department of Defense (DoD), in alignment with the interim National Defense Strategy and Section 1513 of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The CDAO leads strategy development and policy formulation for data, analytics, and AI, while also breaking down barriers to adoption and creating enabling digital infrastructure and services for DoD components.

A key objective of the CDAO program is to selectively scale proven digital and AI-enabled solutions, particularly those focused on enterprise and joint use cases. The program also aims to surge digital services for rapid response to crises and emergent challenges. To accomplish these goals, the CDAO oversees several priority projects, including expanding AI integration between the DoD and the Intelligence Community (IC), establishing an enterprise data repository, building a responsible AI ecosystem, executing the AI and Data Accelerator (ADA) initiative, and developing a comprehensive Data, Analytics, and AI Adoption Strategy. These initiatives collectively support the mission of accelerating the Department's adoption of data, analytics, and AI to preserve decision advantage across the Joint Force.

The Intelligence Support line item within PE 0604124D8Z funds efforts to improve coordination and interoperability between the DoD and the IC, with a focus on the Defense Intelligence Enterprise. The DoD and IC Integration Division, under the CDAO, is chartered to minimize duplication of effort, maximize a common approach to digital and AI-enabled solutions, and develop innovative joint AI operational concepts and capabilities. Funding in this line item supports algorithm development, data preparation, and integration experimentation to create joint DoD and IC capabilities. These activities are intended to enhance joint interoperability and harness the full potential of AI across both communities.

Project Maven is a significant component funded under the Intelligence Support project. Its primary objective is to harness and scale AI across the DoD and IC, particularly within the Defense Intelligence Enterprise, in support of the interim National Defense Strategy. Project Maven focuses on improving coordination and interoperability, minimizing duplication, and developing joint AI operational concepts. The funding supports research and development activities such as algorithm development, data preparation, and integration experimentation, with the aim of creating robust joint capabilities for intelligence support. Further details about Project Maven are classified and available upon request.

Beginning in FY 2025, funding for this program element was realigned under a new project code to better support CDAO priorities and provide traceability to current objectives. The realignment also involved transferring some program and funding responsibilities to the Navy and Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), ensuring continued support for the CDAO's mission while optimizing resource allocation and oversight.

The program's acquisition strategy is not specified in the budget justification, and there are no other program funding summaries or remarks provided. Product development activities are executed through various contract methods and performing activities, with funding continuing into future fiscal years. The schedule profile indicates that Project Maven has been active since the fourth quarter of FY 2022 and is planned to continue through the fourth quarter of FY 2024, with ongoing activities anticipated in subsequent years.