The General Services Administration (GSA) announced today that Zach Whitman, GSA’s chief data scientist, will serve as the agency’s chief artificial intelligence officer (CAIO).
The announcement comes after the Biden administration’s recent AI executive order (EO) instructed agencies to designate a chief AI officer. In a Nov. 29 blog post, GSA welcomed Whitman, along with other agency CAIOs, who will drive the creation of their agency’s AI strategy and establish new governance.
“CAIOs will be tasked with implementing sophisticated risk management requirements so the projects they oversee comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies, including those addressing privacy, confidentiality, copyright, human and civil rights, and civil liberties,” wrote Laura Stanton, GSA’s assistant commissioner for the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC).
“In industry, companies of all shapes and sizes have brought on CAIOs to manage their workflows and augment their organizations’ skill sets,” Stanton added. “I’m encouraged to see their counterparts arrive in government, including our own at GSA, Zach Whitman.”
Whitman has served as the chief data scientist at GSA since July 2023. Previously, he served as the chief data officer at the U.S. Census Bureau for over seven years.
According to the AI EO, the CAIOs will serve as the senior AI advisors to agency leadership. Over the next few months, Stanton said the CAIOs will start weighing in on strategic decisions and will work on strategies to manage the risks of AI while driving innovation.
“You’ll work closely with chief information officers and chief information security officers to set up the right safeguards for how the AI tools your teams and others within your agencies use will meet cybersecurity standards and best practices,” Stanton said, talking to the CAIOs joining Federal agency C-Suites. “Working together with leaders and staff throughout the organization, you may even prototype solutions that can illustrate the capabilities and risks of AI when delivering on your agency’s mission.”
“But wait, there’s more! You’ll also compile inventories, evaluate products, influence workforce development, prioritize projects, remove barriers, document use cases, assess performance, implement internal controls, and ensure your agency’s AI efforts comply with a host of existing laws and policies,” she added.
Whitman and other CAIOs have a big to-do list, and Stanton said they may want to turn to outside resources to help them succeed in their new role. These resources include AI-centric development environments and hardware, SaaS providers, and other AI experts. She also recommended they implement workforce training on AI systems.
According to the AI EO, agencies are required to select their chief AI officers within 60 days of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) finalizing its guidance for Federal use of AI. OMB issued a draft version of the guidance in October, and it is accepting public comments until Dec. 5.
