Defense Logistics Agency CIO: Agentic AI Is a Business Change, Not an IT Project
Executive Summary
Adarryl Roberts, CIO at the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), says agentic AI is a business change and shouldn’t be viewed as just an IT project. And to make agentic AI work, you’ll need to first start by making your data ready to be used by AI.
Roberts, speaking at Google Public Sector 2026, also emphasized that CIOs shouldn’t wait for perfect data but should focus on making steady progress instead. “Our focus is becoming digital-first from a supply chain perspective,” said Roberts. “Agentic AI is the North Star. Our focus isn’t on replacing our workforce. We really see agentic AI as a force multiplier where we have human-enabled AI decisions."
The DLA is the logistics combat support agency that moves 99% of the U.S. military’s consumables. DLA has massive scale, with 8,600 global suppliers, more than 26,000 employees, $244 billion in active contracts managed, 10,000 contracts awarded per day, and five million line items managed.
