Digital Government

Lawmakers propose electronic tracking system for federal grant applications

The legislation from Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., would also explore the use of artificial intelligence “to rapidly identify” duplicative or fraudulent grant applications.

Policy

What Trump 2.0 means for tech and AI regulation

Tech CEO Elon Musk’s growing influence in the Trump transition was at the forefront of discussions.

Artificial Intelligence

Trust and security are top concerns in the public sector’s use of generative AI, survey says

A survey released by Amazon Web Services found that 83% of public sector respondents reported that their organizations are concerned about public trust in the new technology.

Artificial Intelligence

VA announces creation of new AI testing ground with FDA

VA Undersecretary for Health Shereef Elnahal told Nextgov/FCW that the testing environment is “a check in the process” to ensure that AI tools comply with federal guidance on the use of emerging tech.

Artificial Intelligence

Americans want AI disclaimers, FEC commissioner says

Federal Election Commission’s Shana Broussard’s insights follow the agency’s recent decision surrounding generative AI in political ads.

Cybersecurity

Cyber research warns of synthetic content targeting the election

A Russia-affiliated group’s actions, including sophisticated impersonation and spam campaigns, are likely to continue ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Digital Government

White House probes the collision of AI and personal data

Policymakers are examining how the advent of artificial intelligence could create new privacy risks around the federal agency purchase and use of personal information from data brokers.

Emerging Tech

Talented NIST scientists predict the far future of science and technology

NIST asked several of their postdoctoral researchers what they think the future will hold.

Artificial Intelligence

CIA looks to fast track AI adoption through cloud contract

A CIA official said the agency is working with the five recipients of its Commercial Cloud Enterprise contract to “get commercial [large language models] up into our high-side environments.”

Defense

Special operators hope AI can reduce civilian deaths in combat

Automation could eventually turn “trigger-pullers into the experts that can do this,” one official said.

Digital Government

Energy Department wants to use AI to speed up permitting

The hope is that helping feds dive into historical environmental documents creates efficiencies and better outcomes.

Defense

Two programs suggest the Pentagon is getting better at buying technology

The Maven and Collaborative Combat Aircraft efforts display real steps forward, a pair of reports say.

Cybersecurity

DARPA edges closer to using AI to expose cyber vulnerabilities

Next year, seven teams will compete to polish off a best-case model that meshes AI and cybersecurity to detect and fix open-source vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure.

Digital Government

United Nations approves controversial cybercrime treaty

Last week, the United Nations voted to adopt a new cybercrime convention applying to all member states, drawing ire from civil society groups over data privacy risks.

Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft AI offerings now authorized at FedRAMP High

OpenAI’s GPT-4 will be available to agencies requiring FedRAMP High Authorization designations.

People

CISA names Lisa Einstein as first chief AI officer

The new position is part of the agency’s larger strategy to incorporate responsible artificial intelligence solutions both internally and externally to critical infrastructure partners.

Policy

White House announces almost $100M in commitments to expand pool of tech talent

Arati Prabhakar, the director of the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the government’s adoption of emerging capabilities “hinges on getting terrific people to come do this work.”

Defense

DARPA wants to use AI to find new rare minerals

With spectral analysis, it’s possible to “tell the difference [between] cocaine that came from one cartel’s area of Colombia versus another.”

Ideas

How to maximize AI's potential for government

COMMENTARY | Invest, innovate and evolve to meet this critical moment to harness the productive potential of artificial intelligence.

Digital Government

Lawmakers want VA to report on its use of automation to process benefits claims

The legislative proposal seeks to enhance VA’s adoption of new technologies, including providing lawmakers with “a timeline for modifying and implementing the use of such automation tools” in the benefits claims process.