The US space agency has quietly pioneered AI for decades. With CDO David Salvagnini’s expanded remit, it now has a dedicated leader to coordinate and secure use of the rapidly advancing technology. Credit: NASA/Unsplash NASA has appointed David Salvagnini as its first chief AI officer (CAIO) in a move that underlines the expanding role artificial intelligence is expected to play in the agency’s programs. According to the official release, his role will involve developing the agency’s AI programs in conjunction with academia, industry partners, and other parts of government. This expands on the chief data officer role he has been performing since he joined NASA in June 2023. Before that, Salvagnini served the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as director and chief architect of the architecture and integration group after a 21-year US Air Force career. Salvagnini has extensive experience across a range of engineering programs, including those involving AI. AI and NASA NASA’s use of AI goes back decades. Indeed, the agency must count as one of its pioneers and can claim to have been an important influence on its evolution over the past 30 years. However, two issues have elevated the idea that the technology needs a figurehead to take responsibility for its direction within the agency, something that’s being replicated across other US government departments. The official reason is the mandated appointment of a CAIO as required by President Biden’s Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. As required by Biden’s executive order, all federal agencies must appoint chief AI officers to not only coordinate the agency’s use of AI but also put safeguards in place to protect human rights and maintain public safety. The US Department of Justice, for example, recently appointed Princeton professor Jonathan Mayer to be its first CAIO. Another influence is the recent expansion in AI use within NASA. Although popularly seen as an agency that sends people and objects into space, NASA’s day job increasingly involves grappling with huge volumes of data generated by these endeavors. This comes from multiple sources, including satellites, telescopes, and space missions, as well as monitoring data connected to research on climate change and exoplanet detection. This comes from multiple sources, including satellites, telescopes, and space missions, as well as monitoring data connected to research on climate change and exoplanet detection. The CAIO walks among us Until recently, AI would have been viewed in most organizations as primarily an engineering issue. But the emergence of generative AI in particular has transformed AI into a strategic and business priority. As a result, the job title of CAIO is catching on in government organizations and business boardrooms alike. According to research by Foundry from late 2023, 11% of midsize organizations had appointed someone to this role with another 21% looking to appoint a CAIO at some point. That’s despite early evidence that AI can be a difficult role to be tasked with in organizations where the technology often remains unfamiliar or misunderstood. What’s clear is that Salvagnini has the chance to carve out an important role for himself. In many US agencies, the use of AI is experimental. In NASA, by contrast, it is a fundamental tool without which its work would be hard to imagine. A critical theme will be security. As AI becomes more embedded in agencies such as NASA, defending it is becoming a job in itself. “Artificial intelligence has been safely used at NASA for decades, and as this technology expands, it can accelerate the pace of discovery,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “It’s important that we remain at the forefront of advancement and responsible use. In this new role, David will lead NASA’s efforts to guide our agency’s responsible use of AI in the cosmos and on Earth to benefit all humanity.” Related content feature The HP-Autonomy lawsuit: Timeline of an M&A disaster When Hewlett Packard bought knowledge management software firm Autonomy, it didn’t realize it was buying into a multibillion accounting cover-up. Shareholders sued HP, and HP sued Autonomy CEO Mike Lynch. Here’s how it played out over the By Peter Sayer Jun 07, 2024 9 mins HP Mergers and Acquisitions Enterprise Applications news Jury clears Autonomy CEO of fraud charges The case stemmed from Hewlett-Packard’s 2011 purchase of Autonomy for $11.1 billion. Some have blamed former CEO Meg Whitman for not testifying in the case. By Evan Schuman Jun 07, 2024 4 mins Fraud Legal Mergers and Acquisitions feature AES enlists AI to boost its sustainable energy business The American power supplier’s machine learning weather and output forecasting platform is fueling revenue growth while advancing the company’s renewable wind, solar, and energy storage goals. By Paula Rooney Jun 07, 2024 7 mins Energy Industry Digital Transformation Artificial Intelligence feature Top 8 IT certifications in demand today IT certifications can help you quickly gain and validate valuable skills and know-how in a domain that will further your career. Here are the most popular IT certs today. By Sarah K. White Jun 07, 2024 10 mins Certifications IT Skills Careers PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES EVENTS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe