Author Archive

Alexandra Kelley

Staff Correspondent, Nextgov/FCW

Alexandra Kelley
Alexandra Kelley reports on emerging technology for Nextgov/FCW. Her most recent post was covering breaking news for The Hill where she focused on a variety of quantitative subjects, including Big Tech and the economy, in addition to covering the coronavirus pandemic since late 2019. She graduated from Kenyon College in 2017.
Artificial Intelligence

Forthcoming House AI report will call for incremental regulation

Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., said he hopes the House AI Task Force’s report will debut sometime this week.

Emerging Tech

Senators introduce quantum reauthorization bill with little time left in this Congress

The bill would provide resources across multiple federal agencies to continue advancing quantum information sciences research following the original 2018 program launch.

Cybersecurity

NIST issues updated cyber guides focused on assessments and communication

Two new volumes were released by the National Institute of Standards and Technology that aim to broaden the publication’s applicability to organizations outside federal agencies.

Artificial Intelligence

NIST sets up new task force on AI and national security

The Testing Risks of AI for National Security Taskforce will bring federal expertise to test artificial intelligence models in critical use cases.

Emerging Tech

Bipartisan quantum funding bill advances from committee

The Department of Energy Quantum Leadership Act of 2024 will head to the Senate floor as part of a push to continue federal investment into quantum computing research and development.

Emerging Tech

Microsoft and Atom Computing unveil 24-qubit quantum machine

The companies bet on neutral atoms and logical qubits to enable near-term, hybrid quantum computing.

Emerging Tech

Lawrence Livermore’s El Capitan supercomputer is officially fastest in the world

El Capitan’s data processing abilities represent a major advancement in scientific research, particularly for managing the nuclear stockpile.

Artificial Intelligence

DHS releases guidance for AI in critical infrastructure

The Department of Homeland Security worked with its diverse AI Safety and Security Board to develop a holistic approach for securing critical infrastructure that leverages AI technologies.

People

CISA Director Jen Easterly to depart on Inauguration Day

Easterly and Deputy Director Nitin Natarajan are set to leave as an administration change casts doubt on the agency’s future. 

Artificial Intelligence

House AI Task Force wants to marry light touch regulations with sector-specific policy

Members of the bipartisan House AI Task Force discussed their priorities for artificial intelligence-focused legislation and how that might impact regulations.

People

TTS director Ann Lewis to depart

Lewis focused on modernization and artificial intelligence solutions during her tenure.

Artificial Intelligence

Making sure AI is used responsibly at NSF

Meet Dorothy Aronson, the division director and chief data officer serving as the assistant chief information officer for AI at the National Science Foundation.

Cybersecurity

Potential year-end cyber executive order may hinge on election results, people familiar say

The pending order will focus heavily on federal cyber standards and emerging tech threats, but remains in limbo amid the presidential election.

Artificial Intelligence

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. 

Artificial Intelligence

Americans want AI disclaimers, FEC commissioner says

Federal Election Commission’s Shana Broussard’s insights follow the agency’s recent decision surrounding generative AI in political ads.

Emerging Tech

NIST approves 14 new quantum encryption algorithms for standardization

Following the release of the first set of post-quantum encryption algorithms, the National Institute of Standards and Technology is advancing a second series of options to protect important data.

Artificial Intelligence

Success of the AI national security memo ‘will be in the implementation,’ industry says

Industry leaders aren’t shying away from more AI guardrails, but note oversight into the memo’s execution is important.

Artificial Intelligence

Biden signs first national security memorandum focused on AI

The document aims to balance artificial intelligence innovation and adoption with protections for privacy and civil liberties.

Cybersecurity

Cyber research warns of synthetic content targeting the election

A Russia-affiliated group’s actions, including sophisticated impersonation and spam campaigns, are likely to continue ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Artificial Intelligence

Microsoft and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory bring AI to quantum chemistry research

An updated version of Microsoft’s Azure Quantum Elements that combines artificial intelligence and chemistry-specific software tools will be available on Github.