The Daily Scoop Podcast

The federal government has made large strides in setting guardrails for AI development, adoption and use in recent months, driven by the Biden administration’s executive order on AI. Despite the momentum and buzz that’s engulfed the AI adoption landscape, the federal government and agencies must be measured and responsible in their approach to leveraging AI. That’s according to MK Palmore, director of the Office of the CISO for Google Cloud. In a recent conversation, Palmore discussed the need for more rigorous testing and standards for AI, the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, and how important it is to ensure diversity is a part of the larger conversation. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Following the issuance of the Biden administration’s executive order on AI, OMB guidance has called for all federal CFO Act agencies to appoint chief AI officers to coordinate their agency’s use of AI, promote AI innovation and manage AI risks, while also serving as vice chairs of their agency’s AI governance boards. GSA was one of the first agencies to name a CAIO, giving its chief data officer Zach Whitman a dual hat as its AI officer. Whitman, also a former CDO for the Census Bureau, spoke with FedScoop’s Madison Alder and Rebecca Heilweil about the new role, how he’s managing both jobs, what he hopes to get done as GSA’s first chief AI officer, and much more. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

The U.S. national security apparatus in 2021 signed on to a trilateral partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia that has come to be known as AUKUS. The partnership, as the Pentagon explains, is intended to strengthen the ability of each government to support security and defense interests, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, building on longstanding and ongoing bilateral ties. And it will promote deeper information sharing and technology sharing; and foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains. Back in December, a group led by private sector defense innovation firm BMNT launched the AUKUS Defense Investors Network — a network of leading private capital investors from 300+ institutional venture capital firms, corporate venture capital (CVC) groups and family offices from the three nations. d military capabilities in cyber, AI, quantum, undersea capabilities, hypersonics, counter-hypersonics, EW and information sharing – areas where private sector investment can accelerate government investment in developing solutions to critical security challenges. Heather Jo Richman is the founder and co-chair of the AUKUS DIN. For much of her career, Richman has served in roles serving alongside the U.S. DOD and the Intelligence Community to create ecosystems of innovators and investors to engage in national security-focused problem solving on all levels. I recently spoke with Heather from her home in the Silicon Valley area in California to learn more about the new AUKUS DIN. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

The podcast discusses the State Department's efforts to modernize technology, focusing on topics like implementing zero trust and AI. They also highlight challenges of technology debt and network architecture limitations. The agency's priorities include cybersecurity compliance and user experience. They emphasize the influence of AI on security resilience and the importance of using it ethically. The episode also covers the State Department's AI strategy and inventory, with a focus on cybersecurity and report formatting assistance.

The podcast discusses the legislation proposed by Congressman Ro Khanna to hold federal agencies accountable for digital service delivery and ensure worker representation in AI tool rollouts. It also explores topics such as the cautious approach to generative AI, the pipeline for tech skill workers in government, AI's role in improving constituent engagement, building personalized and accessible government services, and balancing innovation and human engagement in government agencies.

Artificial Intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in constituent engagement for both Federal and state and local levels. Gretchen Brainard, Principal at Deloitte Digital joins the Daily Scoop Podcast to discuss how AI is helping government agencies improve constituent engagement and improve the human experience.

The podcast discusses the Department of Commerce's aggressive approach to zero-trust cybersecurity. They assembled a team of experts and created a comprehensive architecture. They also talk about implementing tools for requirements engineering and the importance of a centralized environment and budget for zero trust. The significance of robust cybersecurity and advanced technologies is addressed, emphasizing the potential risks and the necessity for comprehensive measures.

The White House issued an executive order on artificial intelligence at the end of October that set in place the foundation for how the U.S. hopes to lead on the development and adoption of the technology. The Office of Science and Technology Policy and its director, Arati Prabhakar, played a key role in shaping the creation of that order. FedScoop editorial fellow Caroline Nihill spoke with Prabhakar about the E-O, OSTP’s role in it and how the U.S. government is looking to staff up to support its vision. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Discussion on shifting from GovClouds to commercial cloud services based on draft FedRAMP guidance. Exploring challenges in IT modernization and security. Balancing innovation, velocity, security, and compliance in cloud transition. Implications of Biden administration's AI executive order. Challenges and priorities in government cybersecurity.

Jonathan Alboum, federal CTO for ServiceNow and former CIO, discusses the recent flurry of federal IT policies, including AI executive order and modernizing FedRAMP. Topics covered include responsible adoption of new technologies, improving citizen services, challenges in deploying AI responsibly, future-proofing organizations, understanding risks and rewards of AI implementation, and the role of a Chief Trust Officer in managing ethical aspects of AI.