Artificial Intelligence

HHS Splits $49M AI, Automation Contract Evenly Between Small, Large Businesses

The Intelligent Automation/Artificial Intelligence contract is ready for HHS buyers, though officials have plans to grow the business.

Artificial Intelligence

Developing Standards For AI Won’t Go Like Past Technologies

Top experts and officials working on artificial intelligence say global competition has set the stage for a very different standards discussion than with past technologies.

Emerging Tech

The Pentagon Wants Tech to Help Allies Avoid Bombing Civilians

The Defense Department is looking for technical solutions to reducing civilian casualties that can be declassified and shared with international partners.

Podcasts

Critical Update: At Your Digital Service, Part 2

We talk with U.S. Digital Service project managers for a ground-level view of what it really takes to make innovation happen in government.

Emerging Tech

FAA Adds More Airports To Automated Drone Flight Authorization System

More than 100 more airports have joined the beta test of a program that authorizes drone flights in controlled airspace in near-real time.

Cybersecurity

EPA Cybersecurity Weaknesses Are Going Untracked and Unpatched

One EPA employee said their office was tracking vulnerabilities on their own to avoid oversight from other agency components.

Policy

OMB Issues New Policy for Credentialing People, Devices and Bots

The administration’s updated identity, credential and access management policy extends physical credentials to the digital world.

Emerging Tech

ICE Seeks Tech To Track Electronic Devices—Even Through Time

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is soliciting for a cloud-based system that can geolocate devices using multiple sources, including apps.

Modernization

Pentagon Drops $75M To Beef Up Background Investigation's IT Environment

The Defense Security Service penned an OTA contract with Perspecta and several non-traditional vendors to build advanced capabilities and a secure DevOps environment.

Podcasts

Critical Update: Innovation Happens Naturally—With a Lot of Work

U.S. Digital Service Administrator Matt Cutts joins the podcast to talk about the current state—and future of—one of the most wide-reaching innovation programs in government.

Emerging Tech

NRO Is Offering $500K For Experimental Surveillance Tech

The National Reconnaissance Office revealed six areas for the 2019 cohort of the Director’s Innovation Initiative.

Modernization

VA To Codify Customer Experience As Part of Core Values

The need to consider ease, effectiveness and emotion in all decisions will become part of the department’s Code of Federal Regulations.

Cybersecurity

After Executive Order, Trump Administration Puts More Pressure On Huawei

The Chinese telecom company can no longer buy U.S. tech without a waiver, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced Thursday.

Digital Government

Updated Federal Data Strategy and Draft Action Plan Coming Soon

The final action plan is set to be released in August, with deliverables for agencies to meet within one year.

Cybersecurity

HHS is Shopping For Cellphone Hacking Tools

The tools would likely be used by the HHS Office of the Inspector General for investigations into multimillion-dollar frauds and serious organized crime related to health benefits.

Podcasts

Critical Update: Enter The Innovators

Season 3 of Critical Update kicks off with a mythbusting session on what it means to be innovative in government.

Modernization

VA’s EIS Telecom Transition Starts With New Accounting Platform

The agency is looking to buy a holistic financial management system to manage as much as $445 million in telecom spending a year.

Emerging Tech

NIST Is Staging An Armed Robbery To Improve Video Surveillance

Before researchers can test the latest video analytics, they need a variety of footage from different angles, conditions and recording quality.

Cybersecurity

IRS Authority To Regulate Tax Prep Cybersecurity Has Gaps, Watchdog Says

Digital tax fraud schemes are on the rise but the IRS can only do so much to regulate third-party providers without more authority.