Pentagon names chief digital and artificial intelligence officer

Dr. Craig Martell will serve as the Defense Department’s new chief digital and artificial intelligence officer.

Martell, who most recently served as the head of machine learning at Lyft after AI and machine learning-related positions with LinkedIn and Dropbox, will now serve as the Pentagon’s senior official responsible for the “adoption of data, analytics, digital solutions and AI functions,” according to a Pentagon press statement.

“Advances in AI and machine learning are critical to delivering the capabilities we need to address key challenges both today and into the future,” Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks said in a statement. “With Craig’s appointment, we hope to see the department increase the speed at which we develop and field advances in AI, data analytics, and machine-learning technology. He brings cutting-edge industry experience to apply to our unique mission set.”

The Pentagon announced its intentions to stand up the CDAO office late last year. The office is meant to support data-centered and AI-aligned work by DOD’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, office of the chief data officer and the Defense Digital Service.