Exploring AI in Government

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already having a real impact within government, as we have spoken with a number of federal leaders regarding their innovative use of the technology.  They have made a compelling case for AI in government, leaving one remaining question – what's next for federal agencies adopting AI?   To conclude this season of the Exploring AI in Government podcast, hosts Dominic Delmolino, chief technology officer at Accenture Federal Services, and Kathleen Walch, principal AI analyst at Cognilytica, look at where AI is headed.  Dr. Tim Persons, GAO's chief scientist, talks about the technology's evolution and how policies may need to change to accommodate.  The Department of Veterans Affairs newly appointed AI lead, Dr. Gil Alterovitz, discusses how AI can transform healthcare and the potential public-private partnerships needed to make it happen. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has already shown significant potential to transform how we work, empowering employees to be more productive and effective. However, when it comes to realizing AI's full potential, it will require that industry and government provide the workforce with the right skills to leverage the technology effectively. It also means building foundations of trust for employees who might have AI as a potential coworker.   In this episode of the Exploring AI in Government podcast, hosts Dominic Delmolino, chief technology officer at Accenture Federal Services, and Kathleen Walch, principal AI analyst at Cognilytica, examine how the government can build these foundations of understanding in AI with the aim to benefit the workforce. As an outspoken proponent for the convergence of AI and people, Dorothy Aronson, CIO of the National Science Foundation explains how to engender trust and foster "explainability" around the technology's use in the workforce. Presidential Innovation Fellows Justin Koufopoulos and Jeff Starr bring a practice-focused approach to the technology, as they detail their work on an AI Playbook that takes an in-depth look at how AI might impact the workforce at large.

As artificial intelligence (AI) advances, it has the potential to dramatically impact government systems, operations and most importantly employees. It should be no surprise that the U.S. Air Force views an AI-ready workforce as a strategic priority. However, the military's unique structure encompassing both enlisted and civilian members can complicate these efforts. How important is getting AI "right" for the Air Force? What skills will future airman need to support the mission going forward? And what steps has the military taken to provide new training and opportunities?   In this episode of the Exploring AI in Government podcast, hosts Dominic Delmolino, chief technology officer at Accenture Federal Services, and Kathleen Walch, principal AI analyst at Cognilytica, explore these challenges with Captain Michael Kanaan, co-chair of the U.S. Air Force's AI cross-functional team.  This team is responsible for developing and implementing the agency's integrated AI strategy.

The U.S. government and agency leaders have the distinct challenge of finding ways to serve all people and meet their diverse needs. Taking advantage of AI can be a gamechanger for resource-constrained agencies, enabling improvements in customer experience by providing more seamless interaction through digital transformation. What is the current state of customer experience in the federal government? How can agencies use AI to improve performance? What are the challenges in using AI for customer service?   Hosts Dominic Delmolino and Kathleen Walch explore these issues in conversation with Federal Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent and Courtney Winship, division chief of the digital services division at the Office of Citizenship & Applicant Information Services, under the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  Suzette Kent shares how the federal government hopes to use AI to transform citizen services, especially in terms of policy and strategy. Given broad mandates and constituencies to serve with often limited resources, they also explore how specific agencies are using AI to improve customer service. Courtney Winship spoke to this aspect and the elements of her work at USCIS, where she oversees the digital tools used to simplify the immigration experience.

Federal agencies are looking for potential AI use cases that can be implemented today and deliver real value. In this bonus episode, we look at how the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is using machine learning to help automate analysis of workforce data to deliver new insights faster.  Our guest is Alex Measure, an economist that has led the adoption of various AI techniques to automate classification of hundreds of thousands of Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses fillings annually. The system currently assigns almost 85% of these classifications at better than trained human accuracy.  In this discussion, we learn about the BLS' journey to date and what's next.  

Ensuring the ethical and accountable use of AI is a particular concern for federal agencies. Not only do they face significant scrutiny over their decision-making, but they now have the opportunity to influence global AI practices through their behavior. We talk with Michael Karlin, Team Lead – Data Policy for the Canadian Department of National Defence, to learn how our neighbors to the north are navigating this landscape. We also speak with Dr. Eric Daimler, a former Office of Science & Technology Policy lead for AI and robotics, to learn what steps the U.S. government might take.

Federal agencies are turning to intelligent automation to streamline business processes and empower their workforce to tackle more complex issues. However, preparing bots for life in the office takes foresight and planning.  In this episode, we are joined by Gisele Holden, Financial Systems Branch Chief and iTRAK Program Manager at the National Science Foundation, and Craig Fischer, Innovation Program Manager for the Bureau of the Fiscal Service. They share their experience leading automation programs at the enterprise level, including building the business case, implementing the technology and preparing the workforce for successful adoption.

The federal government has declared artificial intelligence (AI) a strategic priority but now what? In episode 2 – our first full program – we assess progress-to-date as well as the emerging strategies being used across government. Sharing their expertise is Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX) and Dr. Mona Siddiqui, chief data officer for the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Host Dominic Delmolino and Guest Analyst Kathleen Walch share what to expect in the Exploring AI in Government podcast. Learn about the specific topics that they will be investigating over the next six episodes and the questions that they hope to ask a cross-section of federal AI leaders.