Artificial Intelligence

USAID wants help in crafting a playbook for global AI uses

The federal government’s latest artificial intelligence guidance is looking to take recommendations from earlier risk management documents.

Cybersecurity

State's cyber bureau has ‘raised the U.S. profile on cyber globally,’ watchdog says

The Government Accountability Office said the creation of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy in 2022 has “helped to better position State to achieve its cyber diplomacy goals.”

Modernization

State Department restores passport processing to pre-pandemic levels

A hiring surge and mandatory overtime has brought passport processing down to its lowest level in years.

Artificial Intelligence

AI can help predict nuclear threats, but also develop others faster, State report warns

A report from a State Department advisory board on AI’s impact on arms control, nonproliferation and verification warned that the tech “is likely to lower barriers to biological and chemical weapons development.”

Artificial Intelligence

State plans to lead by example in tech diplomacy politics

Between following a new executive order and modernizing agency operations, the State Department is building its policy on artificial intelligence through promoting U.S. innovation.

Cybersecurity

State’s cyber overhaul bets big on zero trust to tackle emerging threats

The State Department started at the “bottom of the barrel” when the White House’s 2021 cybersecurity executive order was released, according to the agency’s chief information security officer.

Digital Government

State dives deep into data

The State Department is increasingly capitalizing on advances in data analytics to inform diplomacy and funding efforts.

People

Eileen Donahoe tapped for State Dept. digital freedom envoy

The former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Human Rights Council will work within the State Department’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy.

Cybersecurity

The world is ‘reentering an era of strategic competition’ with cyber, official says

Cyberspace Ambassador Nathaniel Fick argued that the U.S. needs to be able to provide cybersecurity assistance to allies in a way that incorporates emerging technologies.

Artificial Intelligence

Emerging tech, misinformation dominate May transatlantic council talks

The Transatlantic Technology and Trade Council spent last week laying groundwork for unified action on new technologies worldwide.

Policy

US deploys tech diplomacy to cultivate leadership in emerging fields

The Biden administration’s latest foreign policy pillar prioritizes uniform standards on critical technologies within ally nations.

Digital Government

State Department's Plan to Use $500M CHIPS Funding to Bolster the Supply Chain

The State Department is using its CHIPS funding to foster relations with allies, strengthen supply chains and build a robust semiconductor ecosystem.

Artificial Intelligence

Officials Warn of 'Power' and 'Failure' of Imagination in AI Regulation

The U.S. should work with allies to continue to innovate in AI capabilities while agreeing on common use cases, administration officials say.

Digital Government

6 Major Multibillion Dollar Tech Procurements to Watch in 2023

Contracts range in potential estimated value from $5 billion to $100 billion, according to government spending data and Deltek analysis.

Cybersecurity

State Should Evaluate Global Anti-Cybercrime Efforts, GAO Says

A watchdog report said the State Department should take the lead in determining the effectiveness of federal agencies’ partnerships with international allies to combat digital crimes.

Emerging Tech

U.S. Furthers Quantum Research with New International Partnership

The U.S. and the Netherlands are the latest countries to team up in an effort to innovate in the quantum sciences field.

Cybersecurity

Zero Trust Presents 'Doable' Cybersecurity Goals, State Department's CIO Says 

To shore up its cyber defenses, State is identifying potential vulnerabilities across its many disparate systems and working to boost its use of multifactor authentication.

Artificial Intelligence

State Department Proposes International Principles for Responsible Military AI

In collaboration with other countries, the U.S. State Department put forth a slew of best practices when incorporating artificial intelligence into defense operations.

Cybersecurity

US and UK Join Forces to Sanction Russian Hackers

Members of cybercrime group Trickbot, which favors deploying ransomware on critical infrastructure, were handed sanctions in the first-of-its-kind collaboration between U.S. and U.K. agencies.