Artificial Intelligence & the Government: Who’s Driving the Car?

By Emily Wolfteich, Senior Industry Analyst at Government Business Council

The GAO’s report on the federal government’s adoption of AI is as comprehensive as it can be – but do we like what we see?

Image source.

The GAO’s report – the first of its kind, examining both AI acquisition and use as well as the accuracy of agency reports and compliance with federal policy – aims to clear up the picture. It provides recommendations to help agencies standardize their reporting, saying in summary that “federal agencies have taken initial steps to comply with AI requirements in executive orders and federal law; however, more work remains to fully implement these.”

The report relied on agency submissions to the Office of Management and Budget to analyze the current state of AI within the government. The robustness of these use cases varies across agencies. NASA and the Department of Commerce have bounded ahead of the others (390 and 285 respectively) followed by the Departments of Energy (117), Health and Human Services (87) and State (71). The majority of these use cases (516) are planned, while only 228 are in production. Overall, the report provided 35 recommendations, particularly praising the work of Commerce and the General Services Administration (GSA). 

Image source.

Taking Control

The Executive Order is a good start. It sets out guidelines and expectations. But as we’ve seen from the GAO report, there’s still a considerable amount of confusion within the federal government about what is and isn’t AI, and what is or isn’t expected of agencies to report – and know – about their own tools. And this matters – to minimize risk, for protecting data privacy, for regulations attempting to keep this powerful tool from getting out of hand. This car is getting more torqued up with each new innovation, and those are happening rapidly.

“Is somebody going to take the wheel and put some guardrails around this thing, or is it going to keep doing what it wants?”

– Kevin Walsh, director of IT and cybersecurity at GAO


Related Posts
The Integrity of the Future

How are we teaching AI to shape our future?

AI & the Pentagon: Cautiously Curious

As AI hype increases across the public and private sectors, organizations are weighing the possibilities (and risks) the tech creates.

Robotics, Autonomous Systems, and the Future of the US Military

An article detailing the importance of robotics, autonomous systems and what it means when it comes to the future of the US military.

Top Cybersecurity Trends in the Federal Government and Why They are Important

As cybersecurity tech, frameworks, and standards evolve, there are many trends driving cyber investments within the federal sector in 2023.

How the Federal Government Can Attract Employees
young applicants for the federal workforce

As the federal workforce ages, attracting young talent is critical. Taking these 10 actions can help attract the next generation.

Operational Imperatives: Preparing the U.S. Air Force for the Future Fight

A summary of the United States Air Force’s seven Operational Imperatives, plus details regarding their significance to the future of battle.

Unmanned Power: The Future of Warfare
Silhouette of soldier using drone and laptop computer for scouting during military operation.

This article defines drones, provides both historical and contemporary context for their use in combat, and highlights what is still to come. 

The Puzzle of Broadband

Part one of a four-part blog series diving into the issues surrounding the puzzle of broadband expansion and digital equity.

Policy Dive: AI in the First Week of Trump

By Emily Wolfteich, Senior Industry Analyst at Government Business Council Image source: FotografieLink, istock.com On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) to “remove barriers to American AI innovation” and “take action to enhance America’s AI leadership.” This EO follows Read more

The Internet of Things and the Battlefield of Tomorrow

This article discusses the Internet of Things (IoT) and how it relates to the future of the U.S. armed forces.