The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) plans to eliminate its chief technology officer (CTO) role and directorate as part of the Trump administration’s broader efficiency efforts in the fiscal year (FY) 2026 budget.
The CDAO was created in June 2022 to unify the DoD’s data, AI, and digital modernization initiatives. Shortly thereafter, department leaders appointed nearly a dozen senior officials to key roles, including Bill Streilein as the inaugural CTO.
“As part of broader DoD efficiency efforts, CDAO realized organization efficiencies in FY26, including eliminating the CTO directorate,” a CDAO official told MeriTalk on Monday.
Since the beginning of his second term, President Donald Trump has made “government efficiency” a cornerstone of his presidency, implementing aggressive initiatives to streamline Federal operations – from reducing the Federal workforce to cutting contracts and programs.
The recent elimination of the CTO directorate, less than four years after its establishment, is part of these ongoing efforts. Budget materials show that the directorate was allocated more than $340 million for fiscal year 2024.
Although the cut is detailed in budget planning for FY2026, it appears the termination has already taken effect. As of this week, the CTO directorate no longer appears on the CDAO’s official website.
The fate of the directorate’s employees, responsibilities, and ongoing projects remains uncertain. The CDAO official did not provide details on how those functions will be handled moving forward, stating only that “this move has minimal mission impact as CDAO has a strong technical workforce embedded within each of its directorates.”