Pentagon's Responsible AI Division Filled Three of 10 Posts as AI Moves Into Targeting, GAO Finds
The office meant to keep Pentagon AI trustworthy is 70 percent unstaffed and its coordinating council has no charter, while the department pushes AI into target recognition and agentic systems on a wartime footing.
The office meant to keep Pentagon AI trustworthy is 70 percent unstaffed and its coordinating council has no charter, while the department pushes AI into target recognition and agentic systems on a wartime footing.
The Pentagon's Responsible AI Division had filled three of its 10 authorized positions as of February 2026, according to an Oct. 14 Government Accountability Office report. The shortfall has held back additional steps the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office identified for putting its responsible AI rules into practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did GAO find about the Pentagon's Responsible AI Division?
Only three of its 10 authorized positions were filled as of February 2026, per GAO report GAO-27-107837, and CDAO officials said they are unlikely to fill the vacancies while the office restructures.
What is the Responsible AI Working Council?
It is CDAO's working-level body for coordinating responsible AI across Pentagon components. GAO found it did not meet from late 2024 until August 2025 and still has no charter.
How much of the Pentagon's responsible AI plan is unfinished?
As of April 2026, 29 of the 64 lines of effort in the 2022 Responsible AI Strategy and Implementation Pathway were incomplete, according to CDAO documentation cited by GAO.
What kinds of military AI did GAO look at?
GAO surveyed 10 Pentagon components on one AI use case each. The cases included automatic target recognition and agentic AI. The department reported 378 AI use cases overall as of February 2026.
What happens next?
The Pentagon agreed to charter the council and address the division's staffing, with no deadline set. GAO also asked Congress to consider directing the department to act on older AI workforce and collaboration recommendations.
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Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.