Emerging Tech

DHS sets its research sights on 8 emerging technologies

The Department of Homeland Security’s Innovation, Research and Development Strategic Plan focuses its investment the next seven years on AI, cybersecurity, biotech and more. 

Ideas

How government outreach can combat election disinformation

COMMENTARY | We need a solution in which messages are non-partisan, easily accessible and easy to understand.

Emerging Tech

NIST’s emerging tech work will be ‘very difficult’ without sustained funding, director says

Testifying before a House committee, NIST Director Laurie Locascio highlighted her agency’s ongoing work while making clear the need for more funding.

Ideas

Collaboration is essential for safe and secure AI deployments

COMMENTARY | Congress, federal agencies and industry need to work together to develop artificial intelligence governance models that address cybersecurity, safety and bias issues.

People

NASA names first head of AI

David Salvagnini will take on new roles as the agency’s chief AI officer, helping usher more cohesive AI programming across the space agency.

Policy

Large-language models demand huge amounts of data. Lawmakers want to know what that means for user privacy

A bipartisan effort is underway in the House and Senate to pass national data privacy standards, but Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., and others are concerned that companies are pushing back on data minimization in the race to field AI applications.

Emerging Tech

Agencies are advancing AI pilots but face scalability challenges, report finds

General Dynamics Information Technology’s survey of federal decisionmakers found that AI initiatives moved from the pilot phase to production in an average of 14 months.

Artificial Intelligence

House bill targets AI-generated comments in rulemaking

The legislation looks to provide assurance that public comments on pending regulations come from real people.

Digital Government

HUD warns on AI-fueled housing discrimination

The Department of Housing and Urban Development confirmed characteristics like race and income, are protected from AI algorithmic discrimination.

Defense

Giant military manta ray drone passes first ocean test

Manta Ray prototype demonstrates propulsion, steering in step toward “real-world operations.”

Defense

How digital engineering could produce new weapons faster

“This enables process automation more broadly,” GDIT engineer says of new accelerator.

Defense

The Army is trying to identify all the obstacles to adopting AI in 100 days

Launched in March, the effort is looking at poisoned datasets, adversarial attacks, Trojans, and more.

People

DHS names Michael Boyce to lead its AI Corps

The AI Corps program — modeled after the White House’s U.S. Digital Service — is intended to bring teams of experts to bear on the agency’s most critical mission needs.

Ideas

4 ways generative AI will improve the federal government

COMMENTARY | Exciting advancements are ahead for the federal government by tapping generative AI, from streamlined operations to improved national security

Emerging Tech

Decoding distinctions in biometrics

Though some developers describe facial recognition and analysis as “completely different technologies,” privacy advocates argue they remain the same in the kinds of dangers they pose.

Acquisition

Google Public Sector ‘hitting our stride’ in government market, CEO says

Nextgov/FCW caught up with Google Public Sector Chief Executive Officer Karen Dahut at Google Cloud NEXT.

Emerging Tech

Los Alamos National Lab unveils new supercomputer primed for AI

NVIDIA, Hewlett Packard, and the Department of Energy jointly bought a new supercomputer to the New Mexico lab outfitted for processing large volumes of data.

Emerging Tech

EEOC says HR software company Workday should face bias claims in lawsuit

The federal agency filed an amicus brief in a case in which a job applicant is alleging algorithmic discrimination.