Original Broadcast Date: 8/2/2026
Sponsored by Cohesity and Carahsoft
Ashley Devoto enters her role as Chief Information Officer of the U.S. Air Force with experience spanning both military service and the private sector. Rather than immediately introducing new initiatives, she begins with what she describes as an ambitious listening tour, meeting with warfighters, the civilian workforce, partner organizations, other military services, and industry to better understand where technology can have the greatest impact.
That approach is shaping her priorities for modernizing the Air Force's technology environment while preparing the service to take greater advantage of artificial intelligence.
Devoto says her first priority is understanding the needs of the people who rely on technology every day.
She divides her customers into two groups: warfighters operating on the front lines and the broader Department of the Air Force workforce that supports those missions. Both groups, she says, depend on technology that enables them to perform their jobs efficiently.
Beyond those users, Devoto is also engaging acquisition professionals, operational units, leaders across the Department of Defense, and technology partners to better understand existing efforts and identify opportunities for collaboration.
The listening tour, she explains, provides the organizational context needed to establish priorities while building on her previous experience in the Air Force.
One of the consistent themes emerging from those conversations is the need to modernize legacy technology. Devoto says many employees continue to rely on aging systems and applications that create unnecessary operational challenges. Improving those everyday tools allows employees to focus on mission execution instead of working around technology limitations.
She also sees opportunities to simplify the technology available to cyber defenders. Rather than managing multiple disconnected systems, she wants to provide more streamlined technology that helps personnel carry out their responsibilities while ensuring they have the training needed to fully use those capabilities.
For Devoto, improving technology is not limited to frontline operators. Every employee contributes to the mission, and enterprise technology should support that work just as effectively.
Data plays a central role throughout Devoto's modernization strategy.
She describes the Air Force's current data environment as dispersed across multiple locations, creating challenges for users who need timely access to information. Strengthening governance and consolidating data where appropriate can improve accessibility while also making sensitive information easier to secure.
Those efforts also support broader zero trust objectives by improving control over who can access critical data and how it is protected. Devoto notes that preparing the organization's data environment is essential as artificial intelligence becomes more widely adopted. "As your previous guest mentioned," she says, "AI is only as good as the data posture that you have in your organization."
Before agencies fully realize AI's potential, she believes they must first prepare what she describes as the digital battlespace by improving the quality, organization, and governance of their data.
Artificial intelligence is a major focus across the Department of Defense, but Devoto emphasizes that AI should always support clearly defined mission outcomes. "I don't believe in AI for the sake of AI," she says. Instead, she believes organizations should begin with specific use cases and measurable outcomes before deciding where AI fits into a mission.
That philosophy extends beyond operational missions. Devoto also sees opportunities to expand enterprise AI that improves personal productivity for the broader workforce, helping employees complete routine tasks more efficiently while supporting day-to-day operations.
At the same time, she stresses the importance of AI literacy. Employees need training that helps them understand not only how AI works but also how it can be applied responsibly within their roles.
She also encourages a broader mindset shift around data stewardship, viewing data as an organizational asset that deserves the same care and protection as physical equipment.
Devoto's experience outside government influences how she approaches technology modernization. Having worked in the private sector, including retail, she says customer service became central to how organizations delivered technology. She wants to bring that same perspective to the Air Force by making enterprise technology easier to use and reducing unnecessary friction.
She points to her own onboarding experience as an example. Even with extensive technology experience, she found simple administrative processes confusing because they required her to navigate multiple systems. Those experiences reinforce her belief that employees should not have to struggle with technology simply to complete everyday tasks. Her goal is to create a modern digital experience that is intuitive, secure, and allows employees to contribute to the mission more quickly.
As Devoto continues establishing priorities, she is focused on identifying measurable outcomes that will guide her tenure. Among the themes she highlights are elevating enterprise technology, equipping warfighters with the capabilities they need, accelerating technology acquisition, and enabling mission speed through faster delivery of modern tools.
She also wants to strengthen conversations around technology and cyber risk, providing leadership with better information to understand enterprise risks and make informed decisions about where to invest resources.
Throughout the discussion, Devoto returns to a consistent message: modernization is not about adopting technology for its own sake. It is about improving the experience of the workforce, strengthening the Air Force's data foundation, and delivering technology that better supports the mission today while preparing the service for tomorrow's challenges.