In this opening session, we’ll sketch the broad overview of the Federal AI acquisition landscape, focusing on how to accelerate AI deployment in government and what this will mean for governmental efficiency and citizen services. We’ll propose a mechanism for how we get there – laying out a useable, digestible work product for the path forward. The discussion will begin with the present – the current state of play with the Biden administration’s recent AI executive order (EO) and its intersection with other Federal directives and guidance – and then project forward to the Federal AI future that is increasingly inevitable. […]

The AI EO is already serving as an accelerator, heightening the focus on AI use and employee training among Federal agencies. In this session, we’ll focus on how IT leaders can use the EO to operationalize AI at scale and inspire future AI innovation. Join us to discuss the operational opportunities and challenges presented by the EO and pending legislation, and how these realities should shape agency AI policies and practices. […]

AI has arrived in the Federal space as agencies work to implement mandated zero trust security measures. While AI can enhance cybersecurity by fending off phishing and malware attacks, the technology can also create potential attack surfaces. During this panel, we’ll examine how agencies can align AI initiatives with existing security, privacy, and risk management guidance. We’ll map National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) AI controls with NIST cyber controls and discuss whether a new AI risk management framework is needed. We’ll also explore whether a FedRAMP-like system could accelerate the adoption of commercial AI systems. […]

As public sector organizations seek to adopt AI technologies, Approval to Operate (ATO) for AI is increasingly needed to address obstacles, manage risk, and provide governance models. In this session, Teresa Carlson – a visionary technology leader and industry disruptor for new and emerging technologies – will discuss how to scale and operationalize AI by developing a robust marketplace of ATO for AI-ready cloud services. She’ll set the stage with a short history of the Federal government’s interaction with technology, explain why it matters and dive into how it underlies the urgency of moving quickly on deploying AI for government and commercial entities. […]

Federal agencies face a host of challenges as they navigate the AI acquisition landscape, which has slowed the process of procuring critical AI technologies. This session will discuss the piecemeal procurement process of acquiring infrastructure, storage, data services, devices, software, and human expertise. As we define what’s working and what needs to change, we’ll explore questions such as whether agencies buy AI in composable blocks or develop custom applications, and what needs to happen for IT leaders to purchase embedded AI. […]

As policymakers and IT leaders focus on AI acquisition and the deployment of critical AI technologies, attention has also turned to how AI deployments are overseen and evaluated. Join us for a session evaluating AI governance, exploring questions such as which body approves AI algorithms and evaluates the performance of AI deployments; how AI lessons learned across the government can be aggregated; what role public-private partnerships play in AI deployment; and whether AI should be incorporated into the FITARA scorecard. […]

During this brief closing session, we’ll tie together the overall lessons learned from the forum and outline tangible recommendations for agency IT leaders and their industry partners that will help accelerate AI procurement, implementation, and deployment. These recommendations will address barriers to progress, provide practical solutions, and outline mechanisms that are needed to meet the requirements of the EO and pending directives. […]