Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office launches digital on-demand learning platform

The Department of Defense (DoD) Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO) announced the launch of "Digital On-Demand" today, an initiative to accelerate artificial intelligence (AI) knowledge by providing access to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Horizon’s library of learning resources for the DoD enterprise.  The CDAO is opening the MIT Horizon learning platform to all members of the DoD military and civilian workforce providing users with flexible, mobile-friendly options to view the content.

"The CDAO is rolling out Digital On-Demand to foster a baseline understanding of AI systems and other emerging technologies," says Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer Dr. Craig Martell. "This resource demonstrates to the DoD workforce how they fit into the future of these advancements and further enables their adoption throughout the Department."

The CDAO provides this capability through Digital University, a joint venture of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, granting straightforward access to best-in-class training content. Digital –On-Demand can be used y to gain foundational knowledge of certain technologies and as an easy reference tool to provide definitions or explanations of terms and concepts. 

The MIT Horizon on-line platform consists of bite-sized learning assets on AI capabilities as well as on other emerging technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, Edge Computing, Generative AI, Cybersecurity, and Big Data Analytics. One goal of providing this first step of entry level AI knowledge is to establish a common language and understanding to enable better communication across the DoD.

"The DoD is on a historical journey of building a digital workforce. When it comes to AI and emerging technologies, it’s important that their employees are all speaking the same language," says Kathleen Kennedy, senior director of MIT Horizon and executive director of the MIT Center for Collective Intelligence. "We are excited to collaborate with DoD on this effort to accelerate AI knowledge and emerging technologies across their entire workforce."

Today’s launch follows a successful soft launch that occurred earlier this summer to members of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) workforce. Additionally, in August 2022, the CDAO piloted content into a 101-training program for ~1,200 DoD participants. Results of the pilot showed that 91% of participants found that the content broadened their understanding of AI and 97% found the content relevant to their role.

To use the service, users can visit digitalu.af.mil, click "Register," create an account with a ".mil" email, and search "MIT Horizon."