It’s no surprise that artificial intelligence has consistently been a top storyline over the past 12 months. Agencies are detailing 1,000 more use cases in the latest update from the Office of Management and Budget.
But 1,700 use cases alone don’t explain why AI continued to dominate the news and nearly every federal meeting and session on Capitol Hill. One of the reasons government and industry got so excited about the potential and practical capabilities of AI last year has to do with all the work these organizations have done over the past decade. The focus is on data and its governance. Migration to the cloud to modernize systems and applications. Essentially, the journey that took AI from idea and concept to pilot stage in the 2010s has made these capabilities possible in 2024.
In addition to AI, implementing cybersecurity and zero trust architectures will also continue to be a top priority for many federal leaders in 2025. Recent cyberattacks on the Treasury Department, both Bolt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon, are among other eventful events that have kept federal and private sector chief information security officers up late at night to address these threats. We have concluded a great year.
Additionally, over the past 12 months, agencies have seen some of the most important changes in federal policy in years, from cloud security to the digital experiences they provide to the public, to increased accessibility requirements for federal digital services. I did.
With so much going on across the federal sector, Federal News Network asked a panel of current and former federal executives to share their thoughts on 2024 and the highlights of the past 12 months in federal IT. and asked for their opinion on the acquisition storyline.
The panelists are:
Gundeep Ahluwalia, former Department of Labor CIO, currently Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer, NuAxis Julie Dunne, former House Oversight and Accountability Staff, currently Principal of Monument Advocacy Mike Hettinger, former House Oversight and Accountability Staff, currently President David Larimore, Hettinger Strategic Group, Chief Technology Officer, Department of Homeland Security; Gary Washington, Chief Information Officer, Department of Agriculture;
I’ll also post reviews for 2023 and 2022 in case you want to compare the previous answers.
What are two specific accomplishments within the federal IT and/or acquisition community in 2024? What are the details of those accomplishments and why do you think they were impactful? Please explain the changes in detail.
MH: The publication of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) final rule represents a significant accomplishment. After all the adjustments and starts that have come with this program, the publication of the final rule this year is a major step forward. Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, CMMC requirements will be felt throughout the government contracting industry.
Next, consider the overall progress that government agencies have made in implementing Zero Trust, as mandated by the Cyber Executive Order and multiple related directives. We still have a long way to go, but great progress has been made.
JD: Federal Risk Authorization and Management Program (FedRAMP) Modernization Memo from the Office of Management and Budget. Over the summer, OMB updated the 2011 FedRAMP memo. The updated FedRAMP memo is a much-needed update and brings a lot of hope toward the goal of increasing the number of FedRAMP-certified SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) providers. Streamlining processes through automation and leveraging commercial sector security practices are key reforms. The July 2024 OMB FedRAMP memo promises to significantly reduce the time and money vendors must invest to become FedRAMP certified.
Technology Modernization Fund. I was involved in drafting the original Government Technology Modernization Act that created the TMF because Congress recognized the need for multi-year funding capacity to fund IT modernization projects. We are pleased to see the success of TMF, which has invested more than $1.05 billion in 69 projects across 34 federal agencies. I wish there was a little more transparency in the process so we could all learn from successful applications and better help our agency customers.
GA: Implementation of Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) Task Instructions. More than 90% of the migration is complete. This is a monumental task and could not have been accomplished without coordination and cooperation between vendors, the General Services Administration, and all organizations in the federal government. Agency.
DL: We recently announced the launch of DHChat, a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot designed exclusively for internal use within the Department of Homeland Security. DHSCat is an important step forward in leveraging secure, cutting-edge technology to increase productivity and support critical missions. DHSCat enables employees to more efficiently perform daily tasks such as summarizing complex documents and reports, generating computer code, and streamlining repetitive tasks such as data entry. This new tool will enable thousands of employees to securely and securely leverage generated AI capabilities using non-public data. In the future, we hope to create a secure internal knowledge hub where staff can query information about DHS policies, data, and other internal information. DHS collaborates with cloud, cybersecurity, privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties experts across the department to develop guardrails to ensure DHSChat is effective, secure, and accountable I did.
In September 2023, Google released its first set of policies for the responsible use of artificial intelligence. In March 2024, OMB issued Memo M-24-10 with government-wide requirements for AI risk management, as directed by President Joe Biden’s AI Executive Order. Where requirements differ between DHS’s internal AI policy and M-24-10, we met the higher standard.
Throughout 2024, we will re-review all of DHS’ AI use cases, seek out new use cases not previously inventoried across the department, and identify new use cases that impact safety and rights, M-24~ 10 Minimum Risk Management Practices.
This process:
We identified 39 use cases that impact safety and rights. As of December 16th, 29 of these are installed and 10 are yet to be installed. Of the 29 use cases introduced, 24 already comply with minimum risk management practices and OMB has approved short compliance extensions for 5 use cases. We have determined that there is no need for DHS to issue a waiver of the required risk management practices for the deployed use case. We found that 27 AI use cases fall within OMB’s expected impact categories but do not meet M-24-10’s definition for AI that impacts safety and/or rights. I have decided.
Many teams at DHS worked hard to achieve this milestone. We rapidly introduced complex new policies to meet an ambitious timeline, a step toward increasing transparency and responsible use of AI. We will continue to mature our approach to AI governance over time as technology evolves.
GW: I think it’s a commitment to AI guidance and digital experiences. I think both are good steps toward a more modern, effective, and cost-effective government.
From a federal IT/acquisition perspective, what words or phrases will you remember in 2024 and why?
GW: That’s challenging. I say challenging because of all the programs and new focus areas that required attention this year, including AI, cybersecurity, and modernization.
JD: Artificial intelligence. 2024 saw a significant amount of policy activity, including task forces, conferences, executive orders, OMB memos, and bills. The conversation covered a wide range of topics, particularly around the risks and opportunities of AI. The next administration appears poised to shift the discussion toward innovation rather than establishing a regulatory framework for AI. Meanwhile, agencies are already purchasing AI-enabled tools and inventorying their use cases.
MH: DOGE — is that a word? Thinking about efficiency and effectiveness in government, including the use of a wide range of technologies, is the hottest club in D.C. right now, and that effort is just getting stronger.
DL: I think 2024 will be remembered as the year of the “Pilot.” In March 2024, DHS became the first federal agency to deploy a comprehensive “AI Roadmap” to integrate the technology into a variety of applications. The AI Roadmap announced three Generative AI (GenAI) pilots that will test the effectiveness of GenAI solutions and their potential to enhance mission-specific capabilities in a safe, responsible and effective manner. These pilot programs were conducted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
By October 2024, DHS has successfully tested these pilot programs while protecting civil rights, privacy, and freedom. The department gained valuable insight into the real-world impact of GenAI tools and their limitations. Learnings from these pilots will help guide the development and deployment of other AI tools across the department.
GA: Protests have become an integral part of the takeover process. Both trigger-happy incumbents and government mistakes have delayed many large contract awards, creating a constant cycle of suboptimal bridges.
What has emerged as the biggest challenge in 2024 that will impact 2025 and beyond?
DL: The transition to continuous modernization practices such as SecDevOps automation and human-centered design (CX) continues to be a challenge. Large monolithic IT programs are tied to traditional mechanisms for funding and risk management, and cannot easily adopt continuous modernization practices such as “Modernize with Appropriateness.” There needs to be a focus on getting technical talent more engaged in the program to build the foundation for change. Adopting these practices equates to ensuring your IT systems continue to meet your mission needs.
GW: Reducing technical debt and legacy IT.
JD: Artificial intelligence is good for the reasons I mentioned above.
GA: Protest, results-based contracting.
MH: Artificial intelligence is dominant in 2024 and shows no signs of slowing down in 2025. Although the technologies that make up “AI” are still in their growth and development stages, in 2024, the way we purchase and use AI will be ubiquitous. When they are ready to take over, their vision for AI, which differs in many ways from the current administration, will take center stage.
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