Artificial Intelligence

State to develop new AI marketplace for staff

Following a deluge of modernization updates, State officials discussed their AI-centric priorities, including a custom marketplace and leveraging classified intel into AI tools. 

Exclusive Artificial Intelligence

State’s AI chatbot journey started with collaboration

Tech leadership at the State Department gave Nextgov/FCW an exclusive look into how the development of its AI-powered chatbot is going, along with the most important internal processes.

Digital Government

State Department goes big with online passport renewal

The latest pilot has been ongoing since June, but limited in scale. Now, Americans can renew online anytime.

Cybersecurity

RT is now a main unit of Russian intelligence apparatus, US and allies say

A Kremlin cyber operations unit has been embedded in RT since last year and has gone to global lengths to spread Russian propaganda, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Artificial Intelligence

US joins Council of Europe’s AI and human rights framework

By signing the Framework Convention of artificial intelligence this week, the U.S. pledges to mitigate AI-based discrimination.

Artificial Intelligence

Mitigating AI risks requires global cooperation, officials say

The U.S. is looking “to try and build international consensus around a set of norms” for countries’ uses of AI, a State Department official said on Thursday.

Artificial Intelligence

Blinken spotlights role of AI in diplomacy

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other State Department leaders explained how AI use cases such as data analysis and translation are already taking hold at the department.

Digital Government

Most Americans unaware of foreign intel operations’ scope on social media, State Dept. official says

U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nate Fick’s assessment comes five months before a high-stakes U.S. presidential election.

Cybersecurity

US sets sights on partnerships to counter cyberthreats, secure AI in new global cyber strategy

An update to US international cyberspace policy will leverage partnerships to defend against cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and help prevent surveillance misuses.

Digital Government

US to unveil new international cyber framework

The last international cyber blueprint came out more than a decade ago from the Obama administration.

Artificial Intelligence

State Dept. seeks employee volunteers to test AI chatbot

The State Department is piloting an internal chatbot backed by artificial intelligence technology, and will leverage internal sensitive but unclassified data.

Policy

US targets 6 to 8 month timeframe for new nations to join spyware pact

Six new countries joined the agreement last week, and the State Department was working behind the scenes to initially get more signed on.

Cybersecurity

US accuses Chinese hackers of 14-year campaign targeting government officials

The coordinated charges include sanctions on Chinese government-affiliated hackers and an up to $10 million reward for information about the defendants.

People

State selects 4 new Science Envoys

Four U.S. scientists and researchers will work in the State Department’s Science Envoy Program.

Acquisition

State is taking an ‘important step’ for planned EHR, as key lawmaker moves to speed it up

State’s Bureau of Medical Services has been working for more than a decade to replace its current paper-based medical record system with an electronic solution to better meet the healthcare needs of its diplomatic corps.

Artificial Intelligence

US has shared AI security interests with ‘every country around the world,’ State official says

Seth Center, the State Department’s deputy envoy for critical and emerging technology, broke down the U.S. diplomatic approach to cultivating cohesive regulatory approaches. 

Cybersecurity

State Department to levy visa restrictions on spyware abusers

The move builds on several actions taken by the Biden administration in the past year to counter abusive commercial spyware practices.