Management
Pentagon names new top official for digital and AI
Radha Plumb, currently deputy undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and sustainment, will replace Craig Martell as Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer on April 8.
Tech
Biden's $1.67 trillion budget boosts tech, AI
The Biden administration’s FY2025 budget request provides agencies with $3 billion “to responsibly develop, test, procure and integrate transformative AI applications across the federal government.”
Oversight
Bill enhancing contractor whistleblower protections advances to the Senate
The bipartisan proposal would close loopholes that have left federal contractors vulnerable to retaliation.
Management
VA budget bill maintains EHR funding but imposes additional ‘reset’ oversight
The bipartisan FY24 budget package allocates over $1.3 billion for the agency’s new electronic health record system but makes 25% of that funding contingent on enhanced transparency around VA’s ongoing EHR “program reset.”
Tech
Lawmakers urge VA to tread carefully with AI
The Department of Veteran Affairs’ 2023 inventory of AI use cases listed 100 instances where VA is working to use emerging technologies, with at least 40 of those examples in an operational phase.
Tech
Commerce advisory committee urges government to boost startup access to talent and funding
Congress should fully fund the Economic Development Administration’s regional technology and innovation hubs program to help the U.S. tech sector maintain its global leadership, according to the committee.
Tech
How DHS is providing security tech and cyber support for Super Bowl LVIII
The Homeland Security Department said it is “leveraging its significant technology assets and dedicated personnel” to protect the Feb. 11 matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tech
Contracts featuring automation and built-in security can boost agencies’ cyber defenses, VA officials say
As the federal government looks to harden its cyber resilience, officials from the Veterans Affairs Department said agencies should work to modernize outdated technologies and ensure that vendor contracts include more rigorous security standards.
Tech
Autonomous tech featured in Senate border and foreign aid bill
The Senate’s proposed $118 billion immigration and foreign aid package includes more than $260 million to deploy emerging technologies to secure the border.
Tech
Vet centers need better systems, data to enhance support services
Watchdog officials warned lawmakers that the community-based counseling centers for returning veterans use a platform for identifying those at high risk of suicide that is “neither effectively nor consistently utilized.”
Tech
DISA pilots 'concierge AI' to help staffers
The agency is undertaking some early proof of concept initiatives, including a “concierge AI” tool, to see how emerging technologies can support its workforce.
Management
Bipartisan bill strives for ‘more nimble and meaningful’ federal contracting
Legislation from Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, would “streamline procedures” for both solicitation and awards by slimming down the procurement process.
Management
VA’s compliance with accessibility requirements still lacking, watchdog says
The Veterans Affairs Department “did not effectively manage website accessibility to ensure Section 508 compliance,” according to an audit conducted by the department’s Office of Inspector General.
Tech
Senators call for Transportation to offer ‘accessible, mobile-friendly’ service animal form
Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., called the paperwork that disabled Americans need to complete before traveling with their service animals “poorly designed and needlessly difficult to complete.”
Management
A thumbs-up for State's 3-year-old cyber bureau
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.”
Tech
CISA needs better collaboration with the EPA and water sector, watchdog says
CISA had “inconsistent collaboration” with relevant stakeholders due to a lack of formal mechanisms, according to the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General.
Tech
House lawmakers join push for agencies to disclose public-impacting AI uses
A group of House members from both parties rolled out companion legislation to a Senate bill that would require agencies to notify individuals when they are engaging with AI tools.
Defense
DOD’s AI adoption efforts are starting to pay off, Pentagon official says
The Defense Department considers emerging technologies at “the center of how we think about planning for what the future of the military should look,” according to the head of the Pentagon’s Force Development and Emerging Capabilities office.
Management
How Space Force is raising its cyber defenses
The newest service is building in-house cyber teams but also needs to work more closely with U.S. Cyber Command, a deputy chief of space operations says.
Tech
How USPTO built a culture of trust in its automation efforts
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s use of automation has helped officials quickly address identified security vulnerabilities and software bugs, an agency official said.
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