April 11 :
The appointment of Radha Iyengar Plumb, an Indian American technical and strategic expert, to accelerate the adoption of data, analytics, and AI to yield decision advantage within the Department of Defence was announced by the Pentagon on April 9, 2024.
The official swearing-in ceremony for Dr. Radha Plumb as the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO) of the Department of Defence (DoD) took place on April 9 at the Pentagon.
With Plumb's family and colleagues present, the oath of office was given by Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III. Before this, Plumb was the Defence Department's Deputy Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment.
It is a privilege to be entrusted with this responsibility during this pivotal period for our country, Dr. Plumb is cited as saying in the news announcement. The new technology and capabilities provided by artificial intelligence and digital innovation are vital, according to Dr. Plumb. Additionally, she expressed her excitement at the prospect of working with various stakeholders, including military commanders, business partners, academic institutions, and our friends and partners, in order to accelerate and scale up the growth of digital and AI technologies.
Having finished her most recent job, Dr. Plumb will be taking on the post of CDAO, focusing on procurement matters pertaining to the Department of Defence. This includes establishing and maintaining a strong supply chain and industrial foundation for national security.
As stated in the news release by the Department of Defence, her extensive knowledge of data and AI development, together with her novel acquisition strategies and strategic acumen, would greatly benefit the CDAO's innovative endeavours.
In order to expedite the adoption of data, analytics, and AI across DOD, the department noted that her unique combination of government and commercial experience will be a distinct benefit.
Plumb began her career in the IT business with stints at Google, RAND, and Facebook before joining the Department of Defence. She held the positions of global head of policy analysis at Facebook and director of research and insights for trust and safety at Google. Dr. Plumb worked as a senior economist for the RAND Corporation before joining Silicon Valley, where she helped the Defence Department improve its readiness and security evaluation and measurement processes.
Dr. Plumb oversaw policy processes including budget and policy reviews pertaining to nuclear infrastructure modernization and endeavours to strengthen the security and resilience of the energy sector from 2014 to 2015, as stated in her bio on defense.gov.
She played a key role in the executive actions on sexual assault in the military during her time as head of personnel and readiness at the National Security Council. Along with her role as chief of staff, she advised the assistant secretary of defence on policy matters pertaining to special operations and low intensity conflicts.
She also supported the Counterinsurgency Advisory and Assistance Team for the Commander, International Security Assistance Force while serving as a civilian in Afghanistan, where she measured and assessed many aspects of the situation.
Formerly an assistant professor at London School of Economics and a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Scholar at Harvard, Dr. Plumb received her Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University.
With the goal of hastening the Department of Defense's embrace of data, analytics, and artificial intelligence, the very young CDAO became live in June 2022.
