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USPTO Unveils Strategy to Promote Responsible AI Innovation
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USPTO Unveils Strategy to Promote Responsible AI Innovation

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has unveiled a new strategy to guide the integration of artificial intelligence capabilities across agency operations.

The AI strategy will promote responsible AI innovation, prepare the technology for the agency mission and ensure that the United States maintains its leadership in AI tech development, USPTO said Tuesday. It will also help the agency address AI’s effect across intellectual property—or IP—policy and the innovation ecosystem.

Promoting AI Innovation

Acting USPTO Director Derrick Brent noted that the strategy is designed to leverage AI power and mitigate its associated risks. “We have a responsibility to promote, empower and protect innovation,” he added.

Strategy’s Focus Areas

Guided by the framework, USPTO will work to realize its AI vision and mission by developing IP policies that promote inclusive innovation and creativity. The agency will also invest in computational infrastructure and data resources to build top-notch AI capabilities.

In addition, the USPTO will encourage responsible AI deployment, develop AI expertise within its workforce and collaborate with other federal agencies, international organizations and the public on shared AI priorities.

USPTO announced the AI strategy as it continues coordinating with various Department of Commerce and U.S. Copyright Office components to provide guidance and recommendations in advancing AI innovation in the United States.

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Department of Commerce Awards $210M in Grants to 6 Tech Hubs
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Department of Commerce Awards $210M in Grants to 6 Tech Hubs

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration has unveiled plans to award an estimated $210 million in implementation grants to six Tech Hub Designees.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday the additional funding was granted by Congress through the bipartisan Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.

Selected Tech Hubs

The six Tech Hubs selected for this round of grants include:

  • American Aerospace Materials Manufacturing Tech Hub with $48 million
  • Birmingham Biotechnology Hub of the Southern Research Institute with $44 million
  • Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub of Oregon State University with $45 million
  • Critical Minerals and Materials for Advanced Energy Tech Hub of the University of Missouri System with $29 million
  • Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub of Maine Technology Institute with $22 million
  • Vermont Gallium Nitride Tech Hub of the University of Vermont with $23 million

These Hubs are included in the 31 Tech Hubs appointed in October 2023 to boost production of critical technologies, generate jobs in innovative industries, enhance the country’s economic and national security and drive the growth of next-generation industries.

The EDA will collaborate with the National Science Foundation to provide customized resources and dedicated support to the Tech Hubs.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, remarked, “The Tech Hubs Program and this latest allocation of funds are the result of bipartisan cooperation in Congress – I hope that good-faith work will endure so we can continue to invest in these centers of excellence across the nation, which in return, are providing good-paying jobs in industries of the future and helping to strengthen U.S. economic and national security.”

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CISA Guidebook Enables Cybersecurity Collaboration in AI Community
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CISA Guidebook Enables Cybersecurity Collaboration in AI Community

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released a new guidebook detailing how to facilitate voluntary information exchange about cyber threats and defenses within the artificial intelligence community. The playbook also lists possible agency actions on shared information, CISA said Tuesday.

To develop the guidance, the agency collaborated with the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative, or JCDC, composed of federal, international and industry partners. The collaboration culminated in two tabletop exercises on responses to real-world AI cybersecurity breaches.

CISA encourages AI providers, developers and users to integrate the 33-page guidance, titled “JCDC AI Collaborative Playbook,” into their cyber incident response mechanisms. The agency also suggests that AI security specialists raise attention on technical exchange opportunities and priorities on emerging threats or vulnerabilities in the AI community.

Checklist for Information-sharing

The CISA guidebook provides a checklist to use when sharing actionable information. It covers the incident or vulnerability description, how it was detected and the affected AI systems and users. Voluntary information can be shared with JCDC through the email CISA.JCDC@cisa.dhs.gov.

CISA Director Jen Easterly, a Wash100 awardee, described the playbook as a “major milestone” in securing AI systems through the collaboration of about 150 AI specialists from government and industry.

“This playbook will be regularly updated to address the evolving challenges of an AI-driven future,” she added.

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DOD OIG Flags Deficiencies in C3PAO Authorization Process
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DOD OIG Flags Deficiencies in C3PAO Authorization Process

The Department of Defense has failed to effectively implement the process by which third-party organizations are authorized to carry out Level 2 assessments under Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0.

This is the conclusion that the DOD Office of Inspector General said it had reached on Tuesday, following an audit where it reviewed the application packages of 11 of the 48 CMMC third-party assessment organizations, or C3PAOs, authorized as of Sept. 21, 2023.

Lack of Signed Code of Professional Conduct

According to the audit report, the process implementation failure was demonstrated by three findings. First, of the 11 C3PAOs reviewed, two were given authorization even though they did not have a signed C3PAO Agreement and Code of Professional Conduct. This document details the terms, conditions and expectations of C3PAOs, including their adherence to the principles of professionalism, objectivity, confidentiality, proper use of methods and information integrity.

Professional Certification Not Verified

Second, authorizing officials did not verify whether the quality control leads, or QCLs, of four of the 11 C3PAOs possessed the requisite certification. An individual must undergo trainings and examinations to become a CMMC certified professional and then a CMMC certified assessor, or CCA, before the person can be designated as QCL. These trainings work to ensure that a QCL possesses the ability to perform a CMMC Level 2 assessment and evaluate the members of an assessment team.

Possible Lack of Quality Control Leads on Staff

Third, all 11 C3PAOs received authorization even if it was not adequately verified that they had CCAs and QCLs on staff or under contract.

Quality Assurance Process

DOD OIG attributed the issues to a lack of a quality assurance process that would verify C3PAO compliance with the requirements for authorization. The agency consequently offered 10 recommendations, including the development and implementation of a quality assurance process for C3PAO authorization.

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Elizabeth John Named CHIPS’ Chief Portfolio Admin Officer
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Elizabeth John Named CHIPS’ Chief Portfolio Admin Officer

Elizabeth John, a seasoned innovator and operator, has announced on LinkedIn Monday that she has been appointed by the Department of Commerce as chief portfolio administration officer for the CHIPS program.

In her new role, John will leverage her 24 years of operations, technology and data experience as she prioritizes the enhancement of national and economic security while aiding in the creation of new employment opportunities.

Elizabeth John’s Career Highlights

Prior to joining the DOC, John was with the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company for 14 years. She most recently served as an associate partner for the global public sector practice, aiding national, state and local leaders in developing inclusive economies by leveraging technology and data. She was the chief of staff of the chief technology office and an associate partner and management consultant for the McKinsey Organization Practice.

John also worked at Procter & Gamble for over eight years, specializing in procurement and manufacturing. She served as senior purchases manager for both the global innovation and global fragrance divisions. The executive also served as NA fiber technology leader and the raw materials manager at the company’s Albany plant.

The DOC officer founded and developed global software-as-a-service businesses, serving as chief operating officer and CEO.

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Alicia Rouault Joins Health & Human Services as CTO
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Alicia Rouault Joins Health & Human Services as CTO

The Department of Health and Human Services has appointed public sector tech executive Alicia Rouault as chief technology officer.

In a LinkedIn post published Monday, Rouault stated that she will join a group of tech leaders to establish the new Office of the Chief Technology Officer, which she said will be responsible for overseeing HHS’ digital strategy and services, developing data policy, anticipating emergent technology and data requirements and coordinating innovation across programs to foster research and development, experimentation and tech adoption.

According to Rouault, the technology leaders comprising the new HHS office are Meghan Dierks, newly appointed chief artificial intelligence officer; Kristen Honey, new chief data officer; and Steven Posnack, principal deputy assistant secretary for technology policy at the HHS Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy segment.

Alicia Rouault’s Career Background

In addition to her CTO role, she will serve as associate deputy assistant secretary for technology policy at HHS to advance the department’s mission through the use of innovative technology, digital services, data and public-private partnerships.

Rouault most recently served as director of the Facing Financial Shock Portfolio at the U.S. Digital Service.

In her post, the technology leader said she worked on some complex service delivery challenges during her tenure at USDS, including efforts to modernize unemployment insurance and improve income verification and identity-proofing processes across human services programs.

Before USDS, she served as director of state and local government and director of product at 18F within the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services.

Her career also included time as a senior adviser to Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code for America, and CEO and founder of tech startup LocalData.

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Defense Innovation Board Studies Focus on UxS, Nontraditional Vendors
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Defense Innovation Board Studies Focus on UxS, Nontraditional Vendors

The Defense Innovation Board, or DIB, released two studies on scaling innovation in the nontraditional industry and unmanned weapon systems, or UxS, during its board meeting on Monday at the Pentagon.

The Department of Defense said Monday Heidi Shyu, the under secretary of defense for research and engineering and a four-time Wash100 awardee, tasked the reports in September 2024. 

Scaling Nontraditional Defense Innovation 

In one of the reports, DIB recommended that the imperatives of focused organizational structure, cultural optimization and dedicated capital be addressed to improve DOD’s ability to leverage the capabilities of nontraditional vendors at scale.

The board has found that DOD still lacks the appropriate culture for doing business with traditional contractors.

To address the issue, DIB offers several recommendations, including training the department’s acquisition workforce on relational contracting; eliminating burdensome, lengthy, or confusing contracting; maintaining clarity on tradeoffs across schedule, performance and cost; and committing to procuring and deploying five to 10 game-changing capabilities inside 2027.

A Pathway to Scaling Unmanned Weapons Systems 

In the other study, the board suggested four critical actions to field UxS at scale, such as putting relevant numbers of unmanned systems in the hands of warfighters early and often and picking UxS manufacturing winners and awarding them contractually.

DIB also offered specific recommendations and organized them into five categories: demand signal; funding; DOD structure and processes; supply chain; and acquisition and manufacturing.

To address the funding issue, the board recommends that DOD should work with Congress to agree on a funding mechanism that enables the program manager to act with speed and flexibility to rapidly field unmanned systems; identify and prioritize investment in vendors that meet UxS-critical criteria; and attach clearly defined contractual awards for standout performers at UxS field demonstrations.

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DHS Evaluates Tech Used to Create Digital Content Forgeries
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DHS Evaluates Tech Used to Create Digital Content Forgeries

The Department of Homeland Security has released a report exploring the technologies used to develop and propagate digital content forgeries and how foreign governments and nongovernmental organizations can use such technologies to weaponize such forgeries.

DHS said Friday the report discusses the potential risks and harms of artificial intelligence-synthesized fake media on homeland security missions.

The 99-page document, titled Impacts of Adversarial Use of Generative AI on Homeland Security, also describes risk-reduction strategies to mitigate risks from digital forgeries.

Key Technical Observations and Considerations

The report presents eight key technical observations and considerations: convenience and security; multipronged mitigation approaches; threats of tomorrow; AI software; AI hardware and the AI race; technical intelligence; artificial general intelligence milestones; and whole of government responses.

For multipronged mitigation approaches, the report offers some key observations relevant to the design of a risk reduction strategy.

These include the need for other methods to prevent the spread of deepfakes and the role of human training and automated contextual analysis tools in detecting deepfakes.

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Andrew Merkle Named R&D Head at Johns Hopkins Physics Lab
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Andrew Merkle Named R&D Head at Johns Hopkins Physics Lab

Andrew Merkle has been selected as the new head of the Research and Exploratory Development Department, or REDD, at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

The Laurel, Maryland-based organization said Monday Merkle will spearhead the department’s innovation advancements.

Andrew Merkle’s Career

Merkle has spent almost 25 years at John Hopkins APL. He most recently served as the mission area executive for REDD. In this role, he was responsible for the creation of research programs on national security, including the use of artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery, the development of new technologies to strengthen climate security and the implementation of biotechnologies for national security and health.

He also held the position of program area manager for research, principal researcher and program manager. Merkle also served for eight years as a senior researcher for biomechanics & injury mitigation systems. He joined the JHU APL in 2000 as an associate researcher and biomechanical engineer.

Before working for the research and development center, Merkle taught biomechanics at the University of Maryland at College Park for three years.

In addition, the executive is currently the chair of systems engineering in Johns Hopkins University’s Engineering for Professionals program.

Ralph Semmel, director at APL, remarked, “Andrew’s dedication to mission-focused R&D, broad technical expertise and strong leadership have led to new capabilities that address some of the most critical challenges facing our nation. In his new role, he will drive transformative research and continue to position APL at the forefront of innovation.”

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BIS Outlines Rules Framework for Advanced AI Models, Chips Distribution
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BIS Outlines Rules Framework for Advanced AI Models, Chips Distribution

The Bureau of Industry and Security has adopted three strategies to regulate the distribution of advanced computing chips and artificial intelligence models and prevent malicious actors’ access to advanced U.S. technologies in AI and semiconductors.

The first strategy calls for requiring authorizations for exports, reexports and in-country transfers of advanced computing chips. The strategy’s framework also defines certain exemptions on licenses and authorizations to ensure that risk-free commercial chip deals proceed and AI benefits are widely shared, BIS said Monday. 

The exceptions on advanced computing chips will cover a selection of U.S. allies and partners. Also exempted are supply chains in the chip export transfers for semiconductor development, production and storage, but excluding shipments to countries under U.S. arms embargo. In addition, the license exception will apply to low-volume chip transfers outside of the arms-embargoed countries.

Controls Based on AI Computational Weights 

The second strategy in the BIS framework requires export authorizations on AI model weights from 10^26 and above. The control also applies to certain computational model weights for AI developed abroad using advanced U.S. semiconductors or equipment. Exceptions to the rule include open-weight AI models deployed by entities based in the United States or in allied countries.

The third step in the BIS strategic framework calls for instituting security measures to protect the storage of advanced U.S. AI models and microchips overseas and mitigate the risk of the technologies’ diversion to U.S. adversaries.

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo noted that national security risk management also needs to consider AI evolution and U.S. allies’ desire to share in the technology’s benefits.

“This policy will help build a trusted technology ecosystem around the world and allow us to protect against the national security risks associated with AI, while ensuring controls do not stifle innovation or U.S. technological leadership,” she said.

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