- National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency chief AI officer Dr. Michelle Aten will deliver a keynote address at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18
- Aten's leadership and experience in creating the CIA's first computer vision program and publishing the agency's first intel products using AI models makes her a highly-desired speaker
- Get your burning questions answered by Aten after her keynote. Secure your seat today!
Potomac Officers Club, the nation’s top GovCon events, networking and media organization, is thrilled to announce that Dr. Michelle Aten, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency chief artificial intelligence officer and former CIA official, will deliver a keynote address at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on Wednesday, March 18, at the Hyatt Regency Reston in northern Virginia.
The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit will feature top officials from federal agencies, the Department of War and its services, and the GovCon industry to discuss future plans, procurement strategies and captivating use cases for how AI, automation and machine learning are transforming the business of government.
The Pentagon, for FY 2026, is spending a record $13 billion on AI and autonomy, the first time the department has appropriated a dedicated budget line for the technology, according to CDO Magazine. NGA is part of the Pentagon.
Why Is the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit a Must-Attend for GovCon Executives?
The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit is a must-attend event for GovCon executives looking to gain an edge in the fast evolving federal AI marketplace. AI is a strategic priority across agencies as they use it to automate workflows, improve decision-making and deliver better public services.
Government adoption of AI is driving new requirements for data infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity and more. Attendees of the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit will gain first-hand insight from leading federal AI practitioners into:
- AI procurement priorities
- Risk management and responsible AI requirements
- Contract structures for AI and data platforms
- And more!
Capitalize on this unique chance to hear from the federal government’s most influential AI practitioners and drive the future of your GovCon business. Few tickets remain—get yours today!
Who Is Michelle Aten?
Dr. Michelle Aten is an accomplished intelligence professional with an extensive track record of success in some of national security’s most essential emerging technologies. She became NGA’s CAIO in October of last year after holding positions as chief of digital innovation and AI for mission in the CIA’s Weapons and Counterproliferation Mission Center.
Aten has also served in these leadership positions at the CIA:
- Director for AI and data analytics, aka AIDA
- Deputy chief of staff for the directorate of digital innovation
- Deputy director for AIDA
- Deputy chief, innovation to enterprise
What Has Michelle Aten’s Career Focused On?
Aten is a technical expert and innovation leader who developed, delivered and championed the intelligence community’s Foundational AI Stack. This included mission-targeted AI capabilities aligned with both IC and DOW strategic priorities, goals and standards.
After joining the CIA in 2014, Aten created the agency’s initial computer vision program and published the CIA’s first finished intelligence products using AI models. Among her long list of notable achievements, she led the design, development and deployment of the CIA’s premier solutions to democratize access to large language models, retrieval augmented generation and agentic capabilities. Aten also co-founded the CIA’s data science career service and the IC’s annual machine learning conference.
Aten’s background and resume highlight extensive experience building enterprise AI capabilities across the IC. Her career reflects a blend of hands-on technical development, organizational leadership and strategic AI implementation.
What Aten Will Address in Her Keynote
Aten’s keynote at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on Wednesday will provide GovCon technology executives with a unique opportunity to hear directly from one of the IC’s foremost experts on the most vital emerging technologies for national security.
Some possible topics include:
- AI expansion in the NGA and IC. Hear directly from Aten about the latest developments in how the NGA and the IC are using AI to tackle new mission cases, solve existing challenges and improve workflows.
- Analysis tradecraft. Learn from Aten about how the NGA is using AI to support, not replace, human judgement and empower human analysts to apply context, experience and critical thinking to maximize AI’s value.
- Acquisition opportunities. Discover the latest procurement priorities from Aten and get a step ahead of your competitors.
- And much more!
Why Michelle Aten’s Keynote Is Critical for GovCons
Aten’s keynote at the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on Wednesday is essential for GovCon technology executives. Attendees can look forward to:
- Spending insights. Hear directly from Aten about NGA spending priorities for key emerging technologies like AI, computer vision, machine learning and more for FY 2026 and beyond.
- Q&A session. Get your pressing questions answered by Aten after her keynote.
- Networking. Have the priceless face-to-face conversations with other ambitious GovCon executives that only happen in live venue settings.
Why Should I Attend the 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit?
The agenda includes (with additional speakers still to come):
- Keynotes by
- Cameron Stanley, DOW chief digital and AI officer
- Robert Hayes, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office acting chief AI and data officer and Department of Commerce senior advisor
- Panels on the most critical AI topics:
- Discover keys to building AI ecosystems, not standalone tools, and measuring success through mission impact at the Explore Effective, Excellent Enterprise AI Through Partnerships panel discussion, featuring these leading DOW professionals:
- Jonathan Elliott, DOW deputy CDAO for enterprise programs
- Dr. Dietrich Wiegmann, Army research directorate director
- Dive into agentic AI and autonomous workflows and controls and guardrails for safe automation at the Automating Government With AI panel discussion, featuring:
- Sridhar Mantha, Food and Drug Administration acting CIO
- Adam Starr, Office of Personnel Management CIO
- Unlock designing scalable and secure AI infrastructure and compliance and resilience by design at the Building Mission-Ready AI Infrastructure: Designing a Data and Security Foundation for the Future panel discussion, featuring FBI CAIO Katie Noyes
- And more!
- Discover keys to building AI ecosystems, not standalone tools, and measuring success through mission impact at the Explore Effective, Excellent Enterprise AI Through Partnerships panel discussion, featuring these leading DOW professionals:
The 2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 18 is the signature GovCon event for professionals interested in innovative modern applications of AI and how the technology will impact federal business in the future. Make the most of this opportunity to learn of new partnership opportunities and get an edge on your competition. Secure your seat now!
