{"id":34543,"date":"2024-03-14T16:21:55","date_gmt":"2024-03-14T16:21:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2024\/03\/14\/martell-lyft-exec-turned-pentagon-ai-boss-leaving-job-in-april\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:39:02","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:39:02","slug":"martell-lyft-exec-turned-pentagon-ai-boss-leaving-job-in-april","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/artificial-intelligence\/2024\/03\/14\/martell-lyft-exec-turned-pentagon-ai-boss-leaving-job-in-april\/","title":{"rendered":"Martell, Lyft exec turned Pentagon AI boss, leaving job in April"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The U.S. Department of Defense\u2019s artificial intelligence czar will leave the high-profile post next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chief Digital and AI Officer Craig Martell<\/a> is exiting after two years in the job, a department spokesperson confirmed to C4ISRNET. DefenseScoop first reported the move March 14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No reason was given for the unexpected departure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martell, who previously worked on machine learning at Lyft and served as an associate chairman of computer science at the Naval Postgraduate School, will be replaced by Radha Plumb<\/a>, the current deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. The transition is expected to take place April 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martell was the Defense Department\u2019s first CDAO, hired months after Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks announced the establishment of the office. Initially seen as an overseer and expediter of all things data and software, the CDAO has since evolved into a key player in the realization of Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2.<\/p>\n\n\n\t