Lt. Gen. John N.T. “Jack” Shanahan turned over duties as director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center June 1 to Nand Mulchandani, Chief Technology Officer, who will serve as the interim director until a permanent three-star general or flag officer is confirmed later this year.
Shanahan departs the JAIC after serving as the organization’s first director. Shanahan will officially retire from the U.S. Air Force on August 1.
“As I walk out of the Pentagon for the final time, as the director of the JAIC, I am convinced more than ever that our future national security, economic security, and preservation of ideals embodied in the Constitution depend on embracing artificial intelligence across every element of the Department of Defense and society,” said Shanahan. “I want to thank all of our partners, across government, in the private sector, and academia, for your support. The JAIC’s future success depends on these partnerships. I am excited about the potential for them to expand significantly over the next year.”
Mulchandani joined the JAIC team as Chief Technology Officer in 2019 after more than 25 years working in Silicon Valley as a senior executive in the enterprise infrastructure and security software industries. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Department of Defense and the JAIC as the organization moves forward with its vision of transforming the DoD through AI.
“Lt. General Shanahan leaves behind an incredible legacy as an AI pioneer for the Department of Defense. His 36 years of faithful service to our nation culminating in the establishment of Project Maven and the JAIC is truly inspiring,” said Mulchandani. “As all great founders would do, we've worked together to assemble a great team of leaders and specialists in AI and data science, product builders, policy and strategy, and operations to help scale our AI efforts across the Department of Defense. We're inspired and excited to build on this foundation to win in this exciting new area of technology."
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