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J.D. Smith: DOD Study Shows AI, Machine Learning Can Use ‘Contextual Understanding’ to Declassify Records
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J.D. Smith: DOD Study Shows AI, Machine Learning Can Use ‘Contextual Understanding’ to Declassify Records

J.D. Smith, chief of the records and declassification division at the Department of Defense’s Washington Headquarters Services, said a DOD research study validated a proof of concept that demonstrates the capability of artificial intelligence and machine learning models to manage and declassify records using “contextual understanding,” Federal News Network reported Monday.

“The big breakthrough here is the mapping of business rules to contextual understanding models,” Smith said at an event Monday.

He said the DOD study will lead to the development of a “playbook” with regard to the use of AI and ML tools and related technologies in making records management and declassification decisions in government.

Smith added that a request for proposals will stem from the playbook that could help guide industry’s work with government agencies on supporting technologies.

According to FNN, the DOD research project comes as Congress seeks updates on the current administration’s efforts to build a technology platform to support classification and declassification initiatives.

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DHS Names Inaugural Director, Members of AI Corps
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DHS Names Inaugural Director, Members of AI Corps

The Department of Homeland Security has announced the inaugural 10 members of the AI Corps that will focus on advancing the responsible use of artificial intelligence tools to improve cybersecurity, strengthen critical infrastructure and deliver immigration services, among other strategic mission areas.

Michael Boyce, a former Office of Management and Budget official, has been named the first director of the DHS AI Corps, the department said Tuesday.

Boyce previously served as chief of innovation and design for the Refugee, Asylum and International Operations Directorate within the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The first 10 members of the DHS AI Corps are:

  • Babatunde Oguntade, who served as senior principal data scientist at CACI International
  • Christine Palmer, who served as chief technology officer of the U.S. Naval Observatory
  • Jenny Kim, former principal product manager at McKinsey & Co. and former digital service expert at the DHS Digital Service and Defense Digital Service
  • Pramod Gadde, a machine learning lead and founder of healthcare-related startups, including Confidante
  • Raquel Romano, most recently senior director of engineering at Fora and former engineering lead at the U.S. Digital Service
  • Robin Rosenberger, who served as director of Interagency IT, Data and Analytics Initiatives within the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office
  • Sadaf Asrar, an AI technology expert for the National Center for Education Statistics and former director of data science at Optimal Solutions
  • Sean Harvey, former group product manager at Google
  • Stephen Quirolgico, who has 25 years of experience in government, industry and academic research and development
  • Zach Fasnacht, former senior manager of product management at PwC and former lead AI/ML product manager at Allstate Insurance

In February, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Chief AI Officer Eric Hysen held a recruitment event in Mountain View, California, to start the AI Corps program, the department’s first sprint to hire 50 AI tech experts.

“We are excited to onboard our first group of AI experts to begin the work of our new AI Corps. I look forward to growing our AI Corps in the months ahead, as we continue to introduce the safe and responsible use of AI across the broad range of missions we perform,” said Mayorkas, a previous Wash100 awardee.

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DARPA’s SHEPARD X-Plane Receives Official Designation
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DARPA’s SHEPARD X-Plane Receives Official Designation

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has assigned the designation XRQ-73 to its Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration, or SHEPARD, hybrid electric uncrewed aircraft system.

Northrop Grumman and its Scaled Composites subsidiary are developing the XRQ-73 plane in collaboration with Cornerstone Research Group, Brayton Energy, PC Krause and Associates and EaglePicher Technologies, DARPA said Monday.

“The idea behind a DARPA X-prime program is to take emerging technologies and burn down system-level integration risks to quickly mature a new missionized long endurance aircraft design that can be fielded quickly,” said Steve Komadina, SHEPARD program manager.

“The SHEPARD program is maturing a specific propulsion architecture and power class as an exemplar of potential benefits for the Department of Defense,” Komadina said.

XRQ-73, weighing approximately 1,250 pounds, is expected to take its first flight by the end of 2024 in the Group 3 UAS category.

ONCD Provides Updates on National Cyber Workforce Strategy Implementation
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ONCD Provides Updates on National Cyber Workforce Strategy Implementation

The Office of the National Cyber Director has released a report outlining the government’s progress in building the U.S. cyber talent pool and creating hiring goals for the federal cyber workforce.

ONCD has found that 35 federal departments and agencies participate in one or more working groups to identify and share best practices and support the objectives outlined in the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy, Seeyew Mo, assistant national cyber director for workforce, training and education, wrote in a blog post published Tuesday.

Another key progress outlined in the report is removing unnecessary barriers to cyber careers and transitioning to skills-based hiring and talent development approaches.

The report cited the Office of Personnel Management’s effort to modernize the federal hiring process and implement a skills-based approach for information technology positions.

The government also provides opportunities to access hands-on learning and training programs, such as registered apprenticeships and cyber clinics.

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Xcelerate Collaborates With Socure to Support Federal Online Verification Services
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Xcelerate Collaborates With Socure to Support Federal Online Verification Services

Xcelerate Solutions is partnering with Socure to deliver online verification services for government agencies and those they serve.

The companies have been chosen by the General Services Administration for the NextGen Login.gov Identity Proofing Blanket Purchase Agreement. Under the BPA, the companies will support the security of Login.gov by introducing a privacy-preserving identity-proofing system, Xcelerate announced Wednesday.

Jim Dufford, Xcelerate’s program manager, stated, “Collaborating with Socure on the GSA NextGen Login.gov Identity Proofing project demonstrates our understanding of this important mission and our dedication to offering the most advanced technology solutions in the service of public good.”

In supporting Login.gov’s three functional areas — document capture, authentications and validation; biometric comparison; and identity resolutions — Xcelerate and Socure’s collaboration aims to provide safe access to vital government services while protecting users from fraud and identity theft.

Socure is taking a modernized approach to digital identity verification that includes biometrics and artificial intelligence.

“We are committed to offering our government partners the transformative technologies needed to support their mission and equitably identify people online,” said Jordan Burris, vice president of public sector strategy at Socure. “We are excited to partner with Xcelerate Solutions on this initiative to support identity verification and fraud prevention in government.”

The companies were jointly selected as one of eight vendors to work on the initiative.

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Office of Space Commerce Releases Compendium of Space Industry Technical Standards
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Office of Space Commerce Releases Compendium of Space Industry Technical Standards

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Space Commerce has published a collection of technical standards related to space traffic coordination and space situational awareness.

OSC said Tuesday the Space Industry Technical Standards Compendium is a searchable spreadsheet that provides a summary of space-related standards, reports, best practices and other documents developed and coordinated by several organizations and agencies.

These organizations include the International Organization for Standardization, or ISO, the Consultative Committee on Space Data Systems, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NASA and ASTM International.

According to OSC, space standards play a key role in the design, success and operation of space missions and activities by providing space agencies and organizations with a common language and framework to meet their goals.

OSC stated that it will continuously update the compendium and work to convert the resource into an online database.

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Dana Madsen Named CTIIC Deputy Director
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Dana Madsen Named CTIIC Deputy Director

Dana Madsen, formerly national intelligence manager for cyber at the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, has been named CTIIC deputy director responsible for leading an intelligence community-wide approach to cyber strategy and investment and providing support to national policy and planning efforts.

“He brings a naturally collaborative approach and a depth of subject matter expertise gained from two and a half decades of leading dynamic cyber analysis and operational portfolios,” Laura Galante, director of CTIIC and the IC cyber executive, said in a statement published Friday.

In his prior role, Madsen helped lead the development of the 2023 Unified Intelligence Strategy for Cyber, supported key initiatives outlined in the National Cybersecurity Strategy and oversaw investments in cyber capabilities across the IC.

Madsen previously worked at the CIA as the lead of a cyber threat program that integrated multidisciplinary expertise to enable global cyber threat intelligence analysis.

He served five years in the U.S. Air Force before joining the IC in 2000.

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Army Upgrades Enterprise Contract Management System to Enable Integration With Service-Wide Financial Management Tool
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Army Upgrades Enterprise Contract Management System to Enable Integration With Service-Wide Financial Management Tool

U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Procurement have rolled out a new capability for the Army Contract Writing System — a.k.a. ACWS — the service’s enterprise contract writing and management system.

The new capability enables ACWS to integrate with the General Fund Enterprise Business System, or GFEBS, the service’s web-based financial management system, according to a news article posted Tuesday on the PEO EIS website.

Commenting on the new capability, Rick Harris, acting product manager for ACWS, said the GFEBS integration “will help us deliver innovation, adaptability and efficiency for total force readiness.”

Maria Dunton, ACWS lead for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Procurement), said, “By enabling the Army’s largest financial management system to integrate with our new contract writing system, we are able to reach a significant moment that this program has long talked about, in providing our users the capabilities they need and deserve.”

ACWS was launched in July 2023. Its user base has expanded from a small group of contracting offices to about 1,700 following the latest capability release.

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Maria Gregory to Lead Small Business Programs at NUWC Division Newport
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Maria Gregory to Lead Small Business Programs at NUWC Division Newport

Maria Gregory, a procurement analyst in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport’s Contracts Department, has been selected to succeed Sarah Heard as director of Small Business Programs.

Naval Sea Systems Command announced Friday that Gregory will assume her new role on June 30 and will oversee efforts to offer potential prime and subcontracting opportunities for small businesses.

“I’m looking forward to meeting with the department contract managers, the technical department acquisition advocates, and our partners at the 401 Tech Bridge to discuss how we can collaborate,” Gregory said.

Gregory joined NUWC Division Newport in September 2005 as a contract specialist. In 2013, she was appointed the division chief of Small Business East at the Defense Contract Management Agency, where she oversaw a team of procurement analysts.

A year later, Gregory returned to NUWC Division Newport as a procurement analyst in the policy branch of the contracts department and was named co-coordinator of the Purchase Card Program.

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DHS Releases Report on Impact of AI on CBRN Threats
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DHS Releases Report on Impact of AI on CBRN Threats

Advances in artificial intelligence technologies may increase the risk of malicious actors planning or carrying out chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attacks against the U.S., according to a recent report from the Department of Homeland Security.

Mandated by the Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, the report investigates the possible impacts of AI on CBRN threats, DHS said Monday.

Submitted to President Joe Biden in late April, the report notes that AI, when combined with limitations in U.S. biological and chemical security regulations and enforcement, could bring about dangerous research outcomes, intentionally or otherwise.

But while AI could exacerbate CBRN threats, the technology could also help mitigate them.

Integrating AI into CBRN prevention, detection, response and mitigation capabilities could result in benefits, according to the report.

AI could also bolster the National Biodefense Strategy and facilitate international collaboration and communication on CBRN-related efforts.

The report was prepared by the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office at DHS. Input from various government agencies, academia, AI laboratories and think tanks was solicited for the preparation of the report.

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