Lt. Gen Michael Groen
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Director, Joint AI Center, Department of Defense
Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Groen is the second director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, a job at the center of the Department of Defense’s modernization effort to imbue AI across its operations. Groen leads a major change in strategy for the JAIC, turning the center from a fielding organization with specific mission areas, like health care and warfighting, into an “enabling organization.” Groen calls it “JAIC 2.0,” a new-and-improved organization that has more authority to buy things, more money and people involved in helping the DOD become an AI-enabled organization, and direct-report authority to the deputy secretary of defense.