NASA has appointed Kevin Murphy, the agency’s chief data science officer, as acting chief artificial intelligence officer, or CAIO, and acting chief data officer, or CDO.
NASA’s leadership moves signal how seriously the federal government is positioning itself around AI. As agencies strengthen AI and data leadership, industry and government leaders will gather to discuss what’s next for policy, innovation and mission delivery. Register now to join the conversation at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18.
Murphy announced his new roles in a LinkedIn post.
His appointment comes after David Salvagnini announced plans to step down as NASA’s CAIO and CDO in a LinkedIn post two months ago.
Salvagnini, who assumed responsibility as the space agency’s first CAIO in May 2024, said in the post that he started his transition under the Deferred Resignation Program on Oct. 31 and would retire after over four decades of federal service in the spring of 2026.
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Who Is Kevin Murphy?
Murphy has been with NASA for over 17 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He has been serving as chief data science officer within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate since 2021. In this capacity, he oversees the strategic development of data, computing and analysis systems that advance scientific and engineering innovation across the agency. He leads the agency’s High-End Computing Capability portfolio and works across five science divisions to advance machine learning, cloud, data management and analysis platforms for scientific data.
He helped establish the Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition Program and led the Satellite Needs Assessment Working Group.
Murphy spent six years at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, where he served as a system architect.
What Are NASA’s AI Efforts?
NASA has leveraged AI through strategic partnerships with industry. In August, the agency partnered with Google to develop a system that uses natural language processing and machine learning to support diagnosis and medical decision-making for astronauts during missions.
In 2023, IBM and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center collaborated to advance the use of AI for extracting insights from Earth observation data as part of the agency’s Open-Source Science Initiative.
Building on the work, IBM and NASA unveiled an open-source AI model, called Surya, designed to predict solar weather.
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