AIScoop

🌟 Yesterday, we had an incredible day at #AITalks! The event was filled with groundbreaking discussions and visionary insights into the future of AI in the public sector. Together, we delved deep into the transformative power of AI across government functions. Attendees had the privilege of gaining practical insights into fostering an AI-friendly culture, navigating implementation challenges, and leveraging AI to address emerging risks, thanks to our esteemed speakers and panelists. Engaging discussions on the underrepresentation of women in AI, healthcare advancements, strategic initiatives like the Executive Order reshaping federal AI adoption added depth to the day's conversations, and much more. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us, our esteemed speakers: Drew Myklegard, Karen Dahut, Dr. Matthew Graviss, Dr. Kelly Fletcher, Susan Wedge, Dr. William Chappell, Steven Posnack, Robin Carnahan, Dorothy Aronson, Mina Hsiang, Eileen Vidrine, Alla Goldman Seiffert, Howard S., Rep. Ted Lieu, Trevor Brenn, Ann Dunkin, Jinyoung Englund, Vinay Vijay Singh, Zach Whitman, Dave Vennergrund, and Olivia Zhu, and our valued sponsors: Google for Government, Amazon Web Services (AWS), General Dynamics Information Technology, IBM, Microsoft in Government, Varonis, and Nutanix. Your participation and support were instrumental in making #AITalks a resounding success, fostering insightful discussions and driving innovation in the realm of AI. We eagerly anticipate continuing this journey together as we explore new frontiers and unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence in the public sector. Interested in our future events? Visit aiscoop.com/attend to learn more and reserve your spot!

The Department of Homeland Security has built an artificial intelligence-based chatbot it’s calling DHSChat, the latest in a string of agency experimentations with generative AI. DHSChat is designed as a chatbot meant for internal use within the agency, according to a press release shared Tuesday. The tool was developed by DHS’s AI Corps and its director, Michael Boyce, after employees experimented with commercial generative AI tools, including Claude and ChatGPT. https://lnkd.in/ebNxUuf9

The Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday released the latest version of its artificial intelligence use case inventory, reporting 158 active applications for the technology — a major jump from the 67 it made public last year. In an explanatory blog post outlining how the agency approaches artificial intelligence, Eric Hysen, the agency’s CAIO and CIO, said that 29 deployed AI use cases and 10 upcoming AI use cases were deemed to be rights- or safety-impacting, a new level of scrutiny established by recent White House guidance. Roughly half of those deployed use cases included technologies related to face recognition and face-capture technologies, he said. https://lnkd.in/eZPFyMzK

With his time in the White House drawing to a close, President Joe Biden issued the United States’ first national security memorandum on artificial intelligence. Released less than two weeks before the election, the document offered a final recitation of priorities, concerns and strategies to cement Biden’s legacy on AI policy and set a guidepost for his successor. At a high level, the NSM contained few surprises. Officials reiterated AI’s potentially profound impacts on the geopolitical landscape and underscored the importance of longstanding policy goals, such as strengthening U.S. technological leadership, undercutting the ambitions of competitors like China, and promoting the safe use of AI systems. https://lnkd.in/e6S3K9KV

House AI task force members on Tuesday touted the long-awaited release of their report outlining recommendations to Congress on the federal government’s adoption of AI, while confirming that lawmakers are in conversation with the incoming administration about the very same topics. The nearly 300-page report digs into a plethora of areas that the emerging technology touches, including the government’s own use of AI, along with recommendations concerning AI governance and the AI workforce. https://lnkd.in/eCY5tFTa

The Department of Homeland Security should improve guidance for risk assessments focused on artificial intelligence and the threats the technology could pose to critical infrastructure sectors, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Wednesday. The watchdog report, which recommends that DHS “quickly” update its “guidance and template for AI risk assessments” to address various gaps, comes amid ongoing concern that AI could be used to undermine critical infrastructure sectors, which range from dams and IT systems to emergency services. https://lnkd.in/exhgGG_6

A consolidated list of federal artificial intelligence use cases released by the White House on Wednesday shows agencies more than doubled the amount of uses reported last year. Per the 2024 consolidated inventory, which is available on the Office of Management and Budget’s GitHub, 37 federal agencies have reported 1,757 public AI uses. A consolidated list released by the White House last year documented 710 use cases. The consolidated inventory is the product of an annual AI inventory process that was initially established in December 2020 and has continued to evolve. It gives the latest snapshot of how the federal government is handling the rapidly growing technology and reflects the Biden administration’s safety-based approach to AI. https://lnkd.in/e54RHvnX

In her final months as the Pentagon’s second permanent Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Dr. Radha Plumb and her team have been reshaping some of the hub’s directorates and acceleration cells to more quickly and strategically scale proven and experimental AI-enabled capabilities across the U.S. military at a pace that more closely matches real-world needs. “The good news is it’s just a very natural evolution from what was already there,” Plumb told DefenseScoop Monday during an exclusive interview at the Pentagon. https://lnkd.in/eCad5QFa

The FBI’s ability to fully embrace artificial intelligence has been hamstrung by funding constraints and various workforce and technical challenges, according to a new watchdog report. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General said the FBI has “demonstrated initiative” and taken steps to “integrate AI capabilities in a manner consistent” with guidance from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. But substantial progress has been difficult to come by due to barriers that have “impeded” more “accelerated adoption” of AI. https://lnkd.in/eErSjGCd

Six months after putting out a request for information on artificial intelligence in the financial sector, the Treasury Department on Thursday released a report filled with findings from the feedback and recommendations for how the public and private sectors should approach the technology going forward. The department said that the comments — from more than 100 letters submitted by financial firms, fintech companies, trade associations, consumer advocacy organizations, technology providers and others — paint a picture of proliferating AI use cases throughout the financial sector, as well as growing concerns about the risks that generative AI may pose. https://lnkd.in/eJa6nvjR