Eric Schmidt to Chair US Defense Department Advisory Board

In a statement from the US Department of Defense today, it has been announced that Alphabet’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt will chair a new advisory board. Named the Defense Innovation Advisory Board, it will consist of 12 expert individuals from the private sector who will put their effort together in order to find “quick solutions to DoD problems.”

The Defense Innovation Advisory Board takes after the existing Defense Business Board, just as the Business Board advises the department on the best business practices from the private sector, the Innovation Advisory Board will provide advice and information on the latest and greatest practices in innovation that the department can adopt and emulate. The mandate of the board is to supply DoD leader with independent advice on “innovative and adaptive means to address future organizational and cultural challenges” such as the use of technological alternatives and streamlining management, not including any discussion of military operations or strategy.

The remaining members of the 12-person board are yet to be revealed, however, the DoD stated that those selected will be individuals “who have successfully led large private and public organizations, and excelled at identifying and adopting new technology concepts.” These members will be selected personally by both Secretary of Defense Ash Carter and Dr. Schmidt himself, from both those in Silicon Valley and across the US.

While the board still seems far from assembled, it seems wise for the US DoD to make use of the private sector’s technological expertise, so as not to be left behind in a world of growing technology. Many countries around the world may be under threat from attacks both in cyberspace and the real world, and hopefully, this collaboration will develop more informed defenses against cyber-attacks for the US and more.