State Department
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State Dept. cuts poised to be more severe than previously outlined with 3,400 employees on the chopping block
There were bipartisan concerns from lawmakers about a planned break-up of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy, according to meeting notes. Office eliminations are expected by June 2.
Watchdog cites potential improvements for State’s cyber diplomacy office amid agency reorg
The Government Accountability Office noted that the reorganization of the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy could remove it from the direct line to leadership it enjoyed while under the Deputy Secretary’s office.
State Department moves cyber and intelligence bureaus under agencywide reorg
Some 15% of the agency’s domestic staff will be eliminated as part of the reorganization announced Tuesday.
US urging allies to cease talks with Chinese satellite industry
Internal talking points also give State Department officials guidance on how to respond to allies’ concerns about SpaceX’s Starlink.
DOGE deputies land at State Department tech bureau with USAID emails
One of the people, 19-year-old Edward Coristine, reportedly had extensive interactions with cybercrime groups.
AI tools can help reduce climate risks, State strategy says
The release of the National Adaptation and Resilience Planning Strategy comes as a series of wildfires continue to burn across the Los Angeles area.
State to develop new AI marketplace for staff
Following a deluge of modernization updates, State officials discussed their AI-centric priorities, including a custom marketplace and leveraging classified intel into AI tools.
Exclusive
State’s AI chatbot journey started with collaboration
Tech leadership at the State Department gave Nextgov/FCW an exclusive look into how the development of its AI-powered chatbot is going, along with the most important internal processes.
State Department goes big with online passport renewal
The latest pilot has been ongoing since June, but limited in scale. Now, Americans can renew online anytime.
RT is now a main unit of Russian intelligence apparatus, US and allies say
A Kremlin cyber operations unit has been embedded in RT since last year and has gone to global lengths to spread Russian propaganda, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
US joins Council of Europe’s AI and human rights framework
By signing the Framework Convention of artificial intelligence this week, the U.S. pledges to mitigate AI-based discrimination.
Mitigating AI risks requires global cooperation, officials say
The U.S. is looking “to try and build international consensus around a set of norms” for countries’ uses of AI, a State Department official said on Thursday.
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Blinken spotlights role of AI in diplomacy
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other State Department leaders explained how AI use cases such as data analysis and translation are already taking hold at the department.
State Department launches limited online passport renewal
The department previously piloted online renewals in 2022.
Legislation seeks to establish AI research partnerships between U.S. and foreign cities
The bill would limit collaborative experimentation to “non-national security areas” of AI.
Most Americans unaware of foreign intel operations’ scope on social media, State Dept. official says
U.S. Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nate Fick’s assessment comes five months before a high-stakes U.S. presidential election.
US sets sights on partnerships to counter cyberthreats, secure AI in new global cyber strategy
An update to US international cyberspace policy will leverage partnerships to defend against cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and help prevent surveillance misuses.
US to unveil new international cyber framework
The last international cyber blueprint came out more than a decade ago from the Obama administration.
State Dept. seeks employee volunteers to test AI chatbot
The State Department is piloting an internal chatbot backed by artificial intelligence technology, and will leverage internal sensitive but unclassified data.
State Department warns employees of fraud scheme targeting payroll systems
Hackers have been targeting annuity accounts to redirect payroll deposits.
