Garrett Berntsen, deputy chief data and artificial intelligence officer at the State Department, is stepping down from his position in the coming weeks.
“It has been an incredible journey alongside my colleagues at the U.S. Department of State Center for Analytics and partners across the entire Department,” Berntsen said in a LinkedIn post published Wednesday.
“When we pitched people on the idea of data science for diplomacy they often struggled to keep a straight face. Now State has put technology and AI at the forefront of its diplomacy and modernization,” he added.
Berntsen assumed the role in January, marking his return to the State Department, where he previously served as deputy chief data officer for nearly three years.
Prior to his appointment, he was director for technology and national security at the White House National Security Council.
His industry career included time as a senior manager at Deloitte, where he served as a data analytics and strategy consultant supporting the digital transformation efforts of federal customers.
Berntsen is a retired U.S. Army captain who served as a senior logistics officer during his military service.
