Presented by Booz Allen

Evan Carey, Acting Director at the National Artificial Intelligence Institute, Department of Veterans Affairs discusses the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and its efforts to integrate AI into its operations to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of medical documentation and community care records. The VA is focusing on using AI to streamline the creation of documentation, particularly for encounters with veterans, and to manage the complex and often voluminous documentation received from community care providers. This involves developing a robust infrastructure to support AI technologies, including testing and integration phases. The discussion also explores how AI could lead to significant workflow redesigns, particularly in improving the handling of large data sets and ensuring data security and privacy. Emphasis is placed on the ongoing need for infrastructure that bridges the gap between technological advancements and practical clinical applications.

Bryan Castle, Director of AI Engineering at Booz Allen provides insights into how organizations are approaching the adoption and scaling of AI technologies. He explains that while some organizations are beginning with small-scale, research-focused AI projects, others are establishing large, centralized AI functions. The discussion highlights the necessity of a multidisciplinary workforce to effectively implement and scale AI solutions, akin to the diverse expertise needed to develop and distribute a vaccine. Cassels also discusses the role of open-source frameworks in AI, noting that Booz Allen's open-source framework, Assemble, is designed to provide flexible, future-proof solutions that can adapt to new innovations and avoid vendor lock-in. This approach helps organizations overcome common challenges, such as operationalizing AI and transitioning from experimental to enterprise-level implementations.

Alexis Bonnell, CIO and Director of Digital Capabilities Directorate at the Air Force Research Lab discusses the development and objectives of the NIPR GPT project, a generative AI initiative aimed at improving knowledge accessibility and reducing bureaucratic workload for military and intelligence personnel. The project began with the recognition that AI could transform the way knowledge is accessed and utilized, moving beyond traditional data organization methods. The initiative was driven by a volunteer team motivated by the potential to enhance information retrieval and make it easier for users to engage with critical knowledge. The discussion covers the practical aspects of implementing AI, including understanding user needs, developing infrastructure, and shaping policies to support the project’s goals.

The Defense Department’s new Fulcrum IT Advancement Strategy includes four lines of effort. One of them is focused on customer experience. Savan Kong is Senior Advisor in the User Experience Portfolio Management Office in the Office of the CIO at DoD. At TechNet Cyber recently, he tells me his office is driving what customer experience looks like across the department.

One of the jobs of the Defense Department’s Joint Forces Headquarters DoD Information Network is what it calls “organizing the cyber battlespace”. Dell Foster is one of the DODIN leaders responsible for that. He’s Executive Director of JFHQ DODIN. At TechNet Cyber 2024, he tells me what that term means to him.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health will look for solutions from small businesses through a new funding opportunity. It’s one way ARPA-H is trying to leverage special contracting authority the agency has. Ben Bryant is Deputy Director for the Business Innovation Division at ARPA-H. At the ACT-IAC Health I-T Summit recently, I asked him how that special contracting authority works.

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT inside the Department of Health and Human Services has prepared the draft “2024-2030 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan”. At the ACT-IAC Health Innovation Summit recently, Peter Karras, Deputy Director for the Strategic Planning and Coordination Division at ONC, tells me the strategy is both a progression and an evolution.

ACT-IAC Vision 2030: the Federal Tech Revolution

No matter who wins the presidential election this November, a new round of political appointees is likely to make its way to Capitol Hill to seek the approval of the Senate. Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro (USMC ret.) will probably be involved in helping at least some of them prepare for confirmation. Arnold’s new book, "If Confirmed: An Insider’s View of the National Security Confirmation Process," is exactly what the title says it is. Arnold’s guided thousands of appointees through the confirmation process in his decades on the Hill, including a dozen Secretaries of Defense, and a dozen Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Arnold takes you through the confirmation process as only an insider could, with stories and advice on what you can expect if the next administration, or a future one, calls on you to serve.

The new Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers Council just passed the six-month mark of its existence. The White House Executive Order on AI specifies that every agency should designate a Chief AI Officer. Two leaders who’ve led AI efforts at agencies are writing about what agencies should look for in those CAIOs. Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan (USAF ret.) was the first Director of the Algorithmic Warfare Cross-Functional Team (Project Maven) and the first Director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center at DOD. Joel Meyer is President of Public Sector at Domino Data Lab. He’s former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Strategic Initiatives, where he helped stand up DHS’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force. Jack and Joel are writing about “The CAIO’s role in driving AI success across the federal government.” Joel askes in a separate piece, “Can the US government compete for the world’s best AI talent?” They join me for a deep dive into how the Federal government can find success in AI.

The Thrift Savings Plan is on a new glidepath. That path should help its members… that are investing for the long term. Kim Weaver, Director of External Affairs at the TSP, tells what the path is, and how it will work.

The Central Intelligence Agency is building a chatbot to help its people verify open-source information quickly. The agency’s working with other members of the intelligence community to create the bot. On the newest Fed Gov Today TV, I asked Randy Nixon, Director of the Open Source Enterprise at the Central Intelligence Agency, who he wants to use the bot, and what he wants them to do with it.

This Fed Gov Today podcast is sponsored by Microsoft.

Today’s show is “Innovating on the Frontlines: Securing the Future with AI and Cybersecurity.” The evolving intersection of security and AI is the focus today. Leaders from the Department of Homeland Security, Microsoft, and the Department of Defense will tell you where their organizations are, and where they’re going on security and AI; and how they’ll get there.

DHS has several pilot programs in place now to leverage generative AI. It will judge the success of those programs on several metrics. Chris Kraft, Deputy Chief Technology Officer for AI and Emerging Technology at DHS, tells you what those programs are, and how the agency will judge them.

The acceleration of AI use is causing military and civilian agencies to rethink their cybersecurity strategies. The path to doing that is taking two tracks. Vishal Amin, General Manager of Defense Security at Microsoft, tells you how to merge security and AI for success now, and in the future.

Cyber and AI professionals in government usually talk to me about their work from two perspectives: securing applications, and using AI for security. At the ACT-IAC Emerging Tech and Innovation Conference recently, Danielle Metz, Director of Information Management and Technology, and Deputy Chief Information Officer in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, tells me using and securing AI in the Pentagon is a work in progress.

This Fed Gov Today podcast is sponsored by Verizon.

Today’s show is titled “Bridging Horizons: Innovating Customer Experience in Federal Civilian Services. The President’s Management Agenda and a series of executive orders have pushed agencies to transform the way they deal with agency customers. Leaders from FDA, VA, and Verizon dig into the challenges, opportunities, and technological innovations shaping the future of citizen service.

The Food and Drug Administration is ready to take a leap… in its customer experience journey. Josh Lehman, Chief Customer Experience Officer and Director of the Office of Customer Experience at FDA, tells you how the agency approaches customer experience, and how it’s about to change that approach.

The FDA’s forthcoming CX strategy is just the latest example of agencies taking a deliberate approach to the issue. But not every step in that journey goes smoothly. Brian Pancia, Senior Client Partner for Solutions for Public Sector and Digital Experience at Verizon, tells you about the struggles he sees with CX at agencies, and how to deal with them.

Several pieces of policy and legislation put data at the center of the decision making process for agencies. Leaders say data is becoming one of their most important tools in improving customer experience. At the ACT-IAC Emerging Tech and Innovation Conference recently, Evan Albert, Director of Measurement and Data Analytics at the Department of Veterans Affairs, tells me how his agency uses data to measure and improve its performance for veterans.