17 The purpose of using an implementation framework is to prevent scenarios where the organization is underserved by Gen-AI tools. If Gen-AI is implemented too early, too rigidly, or not implemented at all in areas of the enterprise that otherwise would benefit from it, then in the long run, any organization adopting Gen-AI can face issues spanning technical debt, cost overruns, timeline expansions, and scope creep, all leading to underperformance compared to their peers. The military is particularly vulnerable to the pitfalls of incorrect Gen-AI implementation; AI is currently the focal technology in a global power contest, it is central to the US military’s long-term development strategy, and the DOD has multiple organizational and technological hurdles it must overcome to integrate Gen-AI tools. Employing a framework can help the DOD bring greater diligence and quality to this transformation and protect itself against these issues. In the framework, we leverage existing, established best practices in software implementations, while incorporating the unique analysis required for Gen-AI. We cover the following major stages of implementation: 1. Evaluation of the enterprise and its resources; 2. Architectural planning for the integration of the technology; 3. Execution of the integration. Within each of these phases, we propose steps, metrics, and frameworks—unique to Gen-AI— that teams can leverage, in whole or in part, to successfully carry the enterprise through to full integration. A FRAMEWORK FOR CONDUCTING A SUCCESSFUL GEN-AI INTEGRATION Generative AI Adoption in the US Military