Join us for DataConnect Conference Oct 2-3 in Columbus, OH!
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She’s helped lead the U.S. military into the era of AI. From the Pentagon to the White House, Eileen Vidrine has spent her career transforming how government and defense organizations use data to drive mission success. If you're serious about making AI work at scale, this keynote is one you can't afford to miss.
Join us at DataConnect 2025 this October as Eileen takes the stage to share hard-earned lessons from decades in national security and federal tech leadership. As the former Chief Data & AI Officer for the U.S. Department of the Air Force, she’s built some of the most impactful data strategies in the country - designed for action, accountability, and real-world outcomes.
Our theme this year is Fueling AI: The Critical Role of High-Quality Data. Because at the highest levels, it’s not just about algorithms - it’s about trust, readiness, and results. Eileen will show you how to build the kind of data foundation that can power critical decisions and lasting innovation.
In an era where artificial intelligence systems are augmenting critical decisions across many mission verticals—healthcare, finance, defense, etc.—the most vital component of effective AI governance isn't technological—it's profoundly human. Drawing from her experience as the former Chief Data and AI Officer for the Department of the Air Force and subsequent transition to industry, Eileen Vidrine explores the paradox of governing 21st-century AI with 20th-century institutions and the urgent need for human readiness in AI oversight.
While AI can optimize for efficiency and mathematical fairness, humans provide the moral intuition, contextual understanding, and democratic legitimacy essential for responsible AI deployment. The speech identifies a critical readiness gap: most institutions, leaders, and citizens struggle with the capacity to govern AI at the speed of relevancy. Through the lens of "AI as a team sport," she emphasizes that quality AI governance depends not on algorithmic sophistication, but on the wisdom of human institutions and the courage of people within them.
The presentation outlines four foundational pillars for building human readiness and challenges her colleagues to recognize their individual roles in this mission-critical endeavor. The future of AI governance, she concludes, will be determined by whether we rise to meet this moment with wisdom, courage, and collective action.
Eileen M. Vidrine is a distinguished national security leader and U.S. Army veteran with over 35 years of experience driving data strategy, digital transformation, and ethical AI across defense and intelligence agencies. As the former Department of the Air Force Chief Data & Artificial Intelligence Officer (CDAO), she spearheaded enterprise-wide initiatives to bolster AI readiness, workforce upskilling, and mission effectiveness—returning in 2023 following a detail as Senior Strategic Advisor for Data to the Federal CIO at the Office of Management and Budget. A transformative mentor, she has built high-performing teams, championed responsible AI governance, and earned accolades such as AIM’s AI 100 Visionary Leader, CDO Magazine’s 2023 Executive of the Year, and the 2024 DataIQ Lifetime Achievement Award. Eileen continues to inspire as Founder of Vidrine Vantage LLC and serves on advisory boards—most recently the FedLearn board—and the BlackHat AI Security Council.
