Pentagon Names Gavin Kliger as Chief Data Officer to Lead Military AI Efforts
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Pentagon taps former DOGE official to lead its AI efforts
WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Friday named as Chief Data Officer a computer scientist who aided billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to overhaul the government last year and who has boosted white supremacists and misogynists online. In a social media post, the Pentagon said Gavin Kliger's new role "places him at the center of the Department's most ambitious AI efforts," focusing on "day-to-day alignment and execution of the Department's AI projects, working directly with America's frontier AI labs to support the warfighter." The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for more comment. Kliger, in social media posts between October 2024 and January 2025, has voiced controversial views and reposted content from white supremacist Nick Fuentes and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate. The Pentagon use of AI has taken center stage after a heated weeks-long dispute with Anthropic over guardrails on how the military can use its AI tools led to last week's decision by the Trump administration to shun the company and replace it with OpenAI. Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
[2]
Pentagon Taps Former DOGE Official to Lead Its AI Efforts
WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Friday named as Chief Data Officer a computer scientist who aided billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to overhaul the government last year and who has boosted white supremacists and misogynists online. In a social media post, the Pentagon said Gavin Kliger's new role "places him at the center of the Department's most ambitious AI efforts," focusing on "day-to-day alignment and execution of the Department's AI projects, working directly with America's frontier AI labs to support the warfighter." The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for more comment. Kliger, in social media posts between October 2024 and January 2025, has voiced controversial views and reposted content from white supremacist Nick Fuentes and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate. The Pentagon use of AI has taken center stage after a heated weeks-long dispute with Anthropic over guardrails on how the military can use its AI tools led to last week's decision by the Trump administration to shun the company and replace it with OpenAI. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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Pentagon taps former DOGE official to lead its AI efforts - The Economic Times
The Pentagon on Friday named as chief data officer a computer scientist who aided billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to overhaul the government last year and who has boosted white supremacists and misogynists online. In a social media post, the Pentagon said Gavin Kliger's new role "places him at the center of the Department's most ambitious AI efforts," focusing on "day-to-day alignment and execution of the Department's AI projects, working directly with America's frontier AI labs to support the warfighter." The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for more comment. Kliger, in social media posts between October 2024 and January 2025, has voiced controversial views and reposted content from white supremacist Nick Fuentes and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate. The Pentagon use of AI has taken center stage after a heated weeks-long dispute with Anthropic over guardrails on how the military can use its AI tools led to last week's decision by the Trump administration to shun the company and replace it with OpenAI.
[4]
Pentagon taps former DOGE official to lead its AI efforts
WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Friday named as Chief Data Officer a computer scientist who aided billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to overhaul the government last year and who has boosted white supremacists and misogynists online. In a social media post, the Pentagon said Gavin Kliger's new role "places him at the center of the Department's most ambitious AI efforts," focusing on "day-to-day alignment and execution of the Department's AI projects, working directly with America's frontier AI labs to support the warfighter." The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for more comment. Kliger, in social media posts between October 2024 and January 2025, has voiced controversial views and reposted content from white supremacist Nick Fuentes and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate. The Pentagon use of AI has taken center stage after a heated weeks-long dispute with Anthropic over guardrails on how the military can use its AI tools led to last week's decision by the Trump administration to shun the company and replace it with OpenAI. (Reporting by Alexandra Alper; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
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The Pentagon appointed Gavin Kliger as Chief Data Officer to oversee its ambitious AI efforts and work with frontier AI labs. The computer scientist previously aided Elon Musk's government overhaul efforts but faces scrutiny over controversial social media posts between October 2024 and January 2025.
Pentagon Appoints Former DOGE Official to Oversee AI Strategy
The Pentagon announced Friday that Gavin Kliger, a computer scientist who previously worked with Elon Musk on government restructuring initiatives, will serve as the department's Chief Data Officer. In a social media post, the Pentagon stated that Kliger's new role "places him at the center of the Department's most ambitious AI efforts," focusing on "day-to-day alignment and execution of the Department's AI projects, working directly with America's frontier AI labs to support the warfighter"
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. The appointment positions Kliger to lead its AI efforts at a critical juncture for military applications of artificial intelligence.
Source: ET
Controversial Background Raises Questions About Leadership Choice
The appointment comes with significant controversy surrounding Kliger's digital footprint. Between October 2024 and January 2025, Kliger made controversial social media posts and reposted content from white supremacist Nick Fuentes and self-described misogynist Andrew Tate
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. These revelations raise questions about vetting processes for senior military technology positions and how such views might influence the alignment and execution of AI projects within the defense establishment. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding these concerns3
.Related Stories
Shift in AI Partnerships Following Anthropic Dispute
The appointment occurs as Pentagon use of AI has taken center stage following a heated weeks-long dispute with Anthropic over guardrails on military AI tool usage. Last week, the Trump administration decided to shun the company and replace it with OpenAI
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. This shift from Pentagon and AI company Anthropic to Pentagon opting to work with OpenAI signals a fundamental change in how the military approaches partnerships with AI developers. The dispute centered on restrictions Anthropic sought to place on how its technology could be deployed, highlighting ongoing tensions between AI safety advocates and defense requirements. With Kliger now overseeing collaboration with frontier AI labs, the direction of these partnerships and the balance between capability and ethical considerations will be closely watched by both technology industry observers and military strategists.References
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