DOD's Responsible AI Council Needs a Charter Before More Principles
GAO's new audit of DOD's Responsible AI effort describes a failure I recognize. The working council meant to coordinate it across the department has no charter, didn't meet from late 2024 until August 2025, and the division behind it had seven of ten positions vacant as of February 2026. DOD already has its principles. What it lacks is the plumbing. A body without defined roles and a set meeting cadence runs on goodwill, and goodwill is the first thing to go when priorities shift. Having served on an AI approval committee, I'd take a dull charter and a staffed bench over a new set of tenets any day. The 2026 strategy emphasizes speed. Who's staffing the part that makes speed safe?
Source: DOD's AI Oversight Body Lacks Charter, Risks Going Dark Again - Legis1 (Legis1)