Artificial Intelligence

Space Force plans to harness AI to understand threats and challenges

From expanding space domain awareness to combating ever-evolving cyber threats, a top official detailed how the branch plans to leverage artificial intelligence in the near future.

Data

Want to track pandemic relief spending? Data problems make that difficult, committee says

“These challenges limit the degree of transparency into the use of pandemic relief funds,” a new report from the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee says.

Artificial Intelligence

Deputy at Pentagon’s data and AI office to depart for Palantir

Greg Little, the Pentagon’s inaugural deputy chief digital and artificial intelligence officer for enterprise platforms and business optimization, is leaving his position at the end of July.

Digital Government

The fight for the future of cloud

The Federal Trade Commission got an earful from managed services providers, trade groups and antitrust activists about cloud business practices.

Digital Government

EU approves US approach to safeguard transatlantic data flows

The European Commission released a decision approving the implementation of the EU-US Data Privacy Framework, requiring more strict protocols for the U.S. government.

Digital Government

White House promotes success stories in the government’s customer experience push

Filling out forms to recertify for disability insurance is “more frightening than cancer,” one beneficiary said. The Social Security Administration is trying to make it easier.

Artificial Intelligence

What AI-powered robots have to say about their future with humanity

The press conference was billed as the world’s first where robots and AI took center stage, answering live questions from human reporters.

Cybersecurity

Cloud poses special cyber risks for critical infrastructure, report warns

Federal agencies and organizations that oversee critical infrastructure sectors and fail to adapt to the cloud paradigm risk major cybersecurity threats to their systems and networks, according to recent findings.

Emerging Tech

Inside NIST’s effort to lay the groundwork for a functional quantum computer

The latest quantum computer-adjacent device is part of NIST’s broader plan to help agencies move forward as they develop more emerging technology infrastructure.

Cybersecurity

NDAA amendment calls for DOD, DHS to assess cyber threats to border security

Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, said his proposal “sets a plan to prevent cyber incidents by reducing the risk of future cyber vulnerabilities” in key border technologies.

Ideas

How to think like a software factory

The Department of Defense needs to look to its own innovation hubs for lessons on how to keep up with the pace of technological change and emerging threats.

Emerging Tech

OPM identifies over 50 skill sets to look for in federal AI workers

The guidance fulfills a requirement from the AI in Government Act of 2020 that asks how best to deploy and utilize AI and ML technologies in government. 

Cybersecurity

New court ruling may hinder federal information sharing efforts, experts warn

Security experts warned that a federal ruling barring the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and others from contacting social media sites about key issues may have implications that go far beyond First Amendment-protected speech.

Cybersecurity

Resource constraints led to EPA’s failure to address critical vulnerabilities in air and radiation data

The Environmental Protection Agency cited a lack of resources and the sheer volume of critical vulnerabilities as the reasons for its inability to patch its systems under federally required timeframes. 

Modernization

Pentagon’s reversal on new travel expense system “troubling,” key lawmaker says 

Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said the Pentagon’s decision to terminate a multi-million dollar contract to replace its Defense Travel System “raises broader questions about DOD’s ability to manage its finances and information technology.”

Digital Government

How some agencies used tech to decrease improper payments

Governmentwide, improper payments are up relative to fiscal year 2020. But digital tools — alongside other management tactics — enabled some agencies to find reductions.

Ideas

Great job, US Embassy in Beijing

COMMENTARY | Steve Kelman cheers an Independence Day message that touted American-style freedom to a Chinese language audience.

Ideas

Why the government should take a page from Google's IT playbook

COMMENTARY | Site reliability engineering could be the answer to improving the availability and usability of government digital services.

Digital Government

Behind the business of NASA’s digital transformation

The space agency’s digital transformation officer talks about how a focus on business outcomes is helping NASA pivot its enterprise technology goals toward the future.