FedScoop

01/14/2025

Brown has served as deputy CIO at the agency since 2021.

Brown has served as deputy CIO at the agency since 2021.

01/14/2025

The executive order focuses on collaboration with industry, advancing economic competitiveness, and building next-generation data centers to support AI.

The executive order focuses on collaboration with industry, advancing economic competitiveness, and building next-generation data centers to support AI.

01/14/2025

An Education Department alum, Hernandez has served as co-chair of the Federal Chief Information Security Officer Council.

An Education Department alum, Hernandez has served as co-chair of the Federal Chief Information Security Officer Council.

01/14/2025

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office again, a current White House official is voicing concerns over federal research and development funding and artificial intelligence in the next administration.

Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar on Tuesday reiterated her worries for federal R&D spending and programs during an event hosted at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Prabhakar pointed to the first Trump administration’s requests for “cut after cut” to federal R&D, and to subsequent Republican efforts in Congress, namely a proposal to slash funds by 19% over a decade in 2023. https://scoopmedia.co/4hfsssQ

01/14/2025

The Department of Homeland Security released an artificial intelligence playbook on Tuesday aimed at guiding government use of generative AI systems. The document, written for both federal and local officials, represents the culmination of work on artificial intelligence under Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ before the upcoming change in administrations.

The guide emphasizes investing in mission-oriented pilots, building support from senior leadership, and assessing existing tools. For example, the guide notes that some AI systems are expensive to use through existing cloud contracts, while open-weight models might be less expensive. Law enforcement use cases, the document noted, might require models that can run in secure environments. https://scoopmedia.co/40iOJyO

01/14/2025

With IRS funding in the crosshairs of the incoming Trump White House and both Republican-controlled chambers of Congress, the National Taxpayer Advocate is pushing lawmakers to spare the agency’s technology modernization priorities from their fire.

In the release Wednesday of her annual report to Congress, Erin M. Collins — the “voice of the taxpayer” within the tax agency — criticized the “extreme imbalance” of Inflation Reduction Act funding priorities that has allocated 58% to enforcement efforts, 32% to operations and just 6% to business systems modernization and 4% to taxpayer services. https://scoopmedia.co/4gUO5Pa

01/14/2025

Federal agencies would be required to track and report computer usage for teleworking employees under new legislation from a Senate Republican.

The Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees (REMOTE) Act, from Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, would charge executive department heads with enacting policies that record the login activity and network traffic of teleworkers’ government computers. https://scoopmedia.co/4ajmd4I

01/14/2025

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has approved the application of a company that will set standards under a new rule requiring banks, credit card issuers and other financial companies to unlock and transfer a consumer’s personal financial data to another provider upon request.

Financial Data Exchange Inc., will take on those responsibilities for the agency’s Personal Financial Data Rights rule, which was released by the CFPB in October of last year and effectively implements Section 1033 of 2010’s Consumer Financial Protection Act. https://scoopmedia.co/3PzEKR2

01/14/2025

A new rule from the Commerce Department will institute a series of export controls designed to secure “the responsible use and diffusion” of artificial intelligence, part of an overarching Biden administration connecting AI to national security and foreign policy interests.

The regulatory framework unveiled Monday by Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security places controls on specific closed AI model weights as well as on advanced computing chips. The rule also establishes controls on new license exceptions and updates to Data Center Validated End User (VEU) authorization. https://scoopmedia.co/40eEfAz

01/14/2025

The Department of Health and Human Services has three new officials to lead its artificial intelligence, technology and data work.

According to biographies posted to the department’s website Monday, Alicia Rouault is the department’s new associate deputy assistant secretary for technology policy and chief technology officer, Kristen Honey is the department’s chief data officer, and Meghan Dierks is the chief artificial intelligence officer.

The three new officials join the department after it announced a reorganization of its health, data, AI and cyber portfolios in July. https://scoopmedia.co/3PCWLOl

01/14/2025

As Rep. Gerry Connolly begins his new role as ranking member for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, prioritizing federal IT modernization and management and artificial intelligence are top of mind for the Virginia Democrat.

In an interview with FedScoop last week, Connolly said he plans to work with committee’s Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., to elevate the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA) scorecard hearings to the full committee level. Additionally, he is focused on positioning agencies to get rid of legacy IT systems with the help of the Technology Modernization Fund. https://scoopmedia.co/4jhh3dW

01/13/2025

Installing a CAIO, CTO and CDO comes after a reshuffle of the agency’s technology and cyber work in July.

Installing a CAIO, CTO and CDO comes after a reshuffle of the agency’s technology and cyber work in July.

01/13/2025

The new ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee tells FedScoop that he’ll be prioritizing modernization and emerging tech in the upcoming session.

The new ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee tells FedScoop that he’ll be prioritizing modernization and emerging tech in the upcoming session.

01/13/2025

Cybersecurity should no longer be primarily focused on preventing a cyberattack but rather on efficiently recovering from one, says Rubrik Inc. VP of Federal Sales Brendan MacCarthy.
https://scoopmedia.co/40i0R3r

01/13/2025

The so-called AI diffusion rule from Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security faced swift pushback from industry.

The so-called AI diffusion rule from Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security faced swift pushback from industry.

01/13/2025

As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office again, a current White House official is voicing concerns over federal research and development funding and artificial intelligence in the next administration.

Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Arati Prabhakar on Tuesday reiterated her worries for federal R&D spending and programs during an event hosted at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Prabhakar pointed to the first Trump administration’s requests for “cut after cut” to federal R&D, and to subsequent Republican efforts in Congress, namely a proposal to slash funds by 19% over a decade in 2023. https://scoopmedia.co/4h6CeNI

01/13/2025

The Department of Homeland Security released an artificial intelligence playbook on Tuesday aimed at guiding government use of generative AI systems. The document, written for both federal and local officials, represents the culmination of work on artificial intelligence under Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ before the upcoming change in administrations.

The guide emphasizes investing in mission-oriented pilots, building support from senior leadership, and assessing existing tools. For example, the guide notes that some AI systems are expensive to use through existing cloud contracts, while open-weight models might be less expensive. Law enforcement use cases, the document noted, might require models that can run in secure environments. https://scoopmedia.co/4hdxsyb

01/13/2025

With IRS funding in the crosshairs of the incoming Trump White House and both Republican-controlled chambers of Congress, the National Taxpayer Advocate is pushing lawmakers to spare the agency’s technology modernization priorities from their fire.

In the release Wednesday of her annual report to Congress, Erin M. Collins — the “voice of the taxpayer” within the tax agency — criticized the “extreme imbalance” of Inflation Reduction Act funding priorities that has allocated 58% to enforcement efforts, 32% to operations and just 6% to business systems modernization and 4% to taxpayer services. https://scoopmedia.co/40u0uEc