Pentagon AI oversight office struggles to keep pace with department’s ambitions, GAO finds

A US Government Accountability Office review found significant gaps in the Pentagon's implementation of its Responsible AI Strategy and Implementation Pathway, with 29 of 64 planned efforts incomplete as of April 2026. The Responsible AI Division within the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office had filled only three of its 10 authorised positions in February, limiting its ability to oversee and coordinate departmental work. The October 14 report also identified interruptions in meetings of the responsible AI working council and recommended addressing staffing and formalising its charter. The findings concern governance capacity and implementation oversight, not a finding that all Pentagon AI systems are unsafe.