Artificial Intelligence
Report: agencies’ adoption of GenAI depends on safe and ethical principles
Governments need to adhere to ethical AI principles and comply with regulatory guidance to effectively use GenAI capabilities, according to a recent IBM report.
Modernization
HHS pause on external comms delaying upcoming health summits
Two planned events have been indefinitely postponed as a result of the Trump administration’s freeze on HHS-related mass communications and public appearances.
Emerging Tech
TSA’s facial recognition tech is highly accurate, review says
A DHS analysis found that self-identified Black volunteers who participated in testing of TSA’s biometric tools had the lowest face matching success rate of any demographic group, with an overall accuracy of 98%.
People
Trump’s VA pick voices support for continued EHR deployment
Former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., said “there's no reason in the world” why VA cannot successfully deploy its beleaguered Oracle Cerner electronic health record system.
People
Trump’s DHS pick says CISA is ‘far off-mission’ and should be smaller
Current South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem wants CISA to be “refocused” on critical infrastructure and to no longer address mis- or disinformation efforts online.
Cybersecurity
Salt Typhoon breach was first detected on federal networks, CISA head says
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly said the group was first detected “before we understood it was Salt Typhoon.”
Artificial Intelligence
HHS AI plan looks to the private sector for collaboration
Public engagement and collaborative partnerships with the private sector “throughout the innovation pipeline” can help ensure that AI tools are being equitably used and deployed, HHS said in its AI strategic plan.
Artificial Intelligence
AI tools can help reduce climate risks, State strategy says
The release of the National Adaptation and Resilience Planning Strategy comes as a series of wildfires continue to burn across the Los Angeles area.
Artificial Intelligence
VA accounts for majority of all agencies’ safety- and rights-impacting AI
Of the 1,757 total AI use cases reported by federal agencies last year, 227 of them were listed as safety- or rights-impacting. VA accounted for 145 of those identified use cases.
Emerging Tech
Federal R&D needs sustained funding, OSTP head warns incoming Trump admin
OSTP Director Arati Prabhakar said the U.S. is “at a pivotal moment for federally-funded R&D” as misinformation and proposed budget cuts threaten government-driven innovation.
People
OPM CIO announces retirement
Guy Cavallo is the agency’s longest serving CIO in the past decade.
Artificial Intelligence
HHS’ 2024 AI use case inventory shows move toward internal chatbots
The agency reported 271 AI use cases in 2024, which it said represented a 66% increase from its reported 2023 total.
Artificial Intelligence
DOD announces completion of pilot to identify medical AI vulnerabilities
The Pentagon’s red teaming effort identified more than 800 “potential vulnerabilities and biases” in the use of large language models for clinical note summarization and for a medical advisory chatbot.
Modernization
VA plans to restart EHR rollouts in mid-2026, despite viability concerns
VA Secretary Denis McDonough previously told Congress that the department was looking to end its pause on new deployments of the Oracle Cerner software in fiscal year 2025.
Policy
Senators want DHS to detail efforts to mitigate GPS disruptions
Sens. Maggie Hassan. D-N.H., and James Lankford, R-Okla., expressed concerns that adversarial powers are investing in land-based alternatives to GPS, but that the U.S. has not taken similar steps.
Digital Government
Government spending bill would also codify VA’s customer experience office
The continuing resolution to keep the government funded through March 14 would, in part, formalize a VA office that gathers feedback to improve veteran services.
Artificial Intelligence
DHS launches internal GenAI chatbot to leverage non-public data
Agency Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the tool, known as DHSChat, “will help men and women across DHS draft vital reports, summarize critical information, develop new software, streamline administrative tasks and much more.”
Defense
Dems push ‘right to repair’ mandate after proposal was stripped from NDAA
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., want servicemembers to be able to repair hardware without needing to depend on contractors to make fixes.
People
Intelligence CIO moves to helm IT at the National Institutes of Health
Adele Merritt, who served as CIO for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence since January 2022, took over as the NIH CIO on Dec. 16.
Cybersecurity