On AI and the U.S. Government

Last week, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget issued guidance onArtificial Intelligence use that said: 

• "Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most powerful technologies of our time. 

• "AI can be a helpful tool for modernizing agency operations and improving Federal Government service to the public.

• "Agencies must increase their capacity to responsibly adopt AI, including generative AI, and take steps to enable sharing and reuse of AI models, code, and data. 

• "Agencies should reduce barriers to the responsible use of AI, including barriers related to IT infrastructure, data, cybersecurity, workforce, and the particular challenges of generative AI. 

• "To improve accountability for AI issues, agencies must designate a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) … agencies may choose to designate an existing official, such as a Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Data Officer (CDO), Chief Technology Officer, or similar official ..." 

OUR TAKE

• Federal government uses of AI will focus on areas such as healthcare, transportation, benefits delivery, cybersecurity, environmental forecasting, agriculture, commerce, and energy.

• Areas of AI risk include concerns about privacy/surveillance, algorithmic bias, regulatory compliance, unintended behavior in military/defense efforts, job displacement, and political manipulation.

• As with many technology efforts, successful government AI solutions will require access to quality data, the acceptance of  users, and cost effective development, deployment and support.