Keynotes & Tracks

The 3rd Annual AI World Government will provide a comprehensive two-day forum to educate federal agency leaders on proven strategies and tactics to deploy AI and cognitive technologies. With AI technology at the forefront of our everyday lives, the current administration is announcing several new and updated AI initiatives. AI World Government will report on the state-of-the-practice on how federal agencies are deploying and integrating AI and data-driven government services under these guidelines. The conference convenes experts from our nation’s strong innovation ecosystem across government, technology, business, and research to present the latest strategies and state of the technology to assist the public sector in leveraging advanced intelligent technologies to meet the missions of our government agencies.

The conference program will delve deeply into the following topic areas, and will include, but is not limited to the following subjects:

October 18, 2021 | 9:00 am – 12:25 pm ET

Co-Chairs:

Eliot Weinman, General Manager & Conference Chair, AI World Government, Cambridge Innovation Institute

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

7:30 am Registration Opens

8:15 Morning Coffee

9:00 Chairperson’s Remarks

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

9:20 KEYNOTE: Managing the Complexity of Adopting AI

Tim Grayson Timothy Grayson, PhD, Director, Strategic Technology Office (STO), Office Director, DARPA

Managing large enterprises and designing large, interconnected architectures is inherently complex. This is seen in the commercial world in design of the Industrial Internet of Things or IIoT, and it is epitomized in what DARPA calls Mosaic Warfare. AI provides opportunities to manage this complexity – whether it is for planning a highly dispersed enterprise, managing the resulting need for adaptive interoperability, or helping humans function amidst that complexity. At the same time, tailoring and deploying AI in this environment can itself become overwhelmingly complex. This keynote will describe DARPA’s vision for Mosaic IIoT, discuss how AI can help implement it, and then present some of the technical, institutional, and cultural challenges for AI adoption and potential approaches to overcome them.

9:45 KEYNOTE: Presentation to be Announced

Bryan Harris, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, SAS

10:10 KEYNOTE: Algorithms, Experts, and Crowds: New Boundaries in an Age of Cyber Conflict

Ted Okada, CTO, FEMA
The world of AI has long managed a historic reliance on the separation of analysis and engineering, risk schematics, and discrete product delivery. The “power of algorithms, insight of the experts, and the wisdom of the crowds” still casts a protracted shadow over our field. However, in a fundamentally open society, how do we either orient or act with precision in the near weightlessness of constant ambient cyber conflict? In this session, we will explore and question new emerging boundaries in the relationship between risk and trust.

10:30 - 5:30 pm Exhibit Hall Hours

10:35 Coffee Break with Exhibitors

11:00 KEYNOTE

11:25 KEYNOTE: Is There a Future for Standards for Ethical AI: A Crossfire Chat between Governance and Engineering

Speaker Placeholder Sara Jordan, PhD, Policy Counsel, Artificial Intelligence, The Future of Privacy Forum

Beth-Anne Schuelke-Leech, PhD, Associate Professor of Engineering, University of Windsor

In this dual keynote, the speakers address the challenge of developing ethical AI. Dr. Jordan asks whether AI Ops and AI governance mechanisms will be enough to ensure ethical AI. Dr. Schuelke-Leech asks whether ethical AI is compatible with engineering norms and practices. Starting from these two perspectives, the speakers identify points of overlap and points of divergence that audience members can take away to revise and guide plans for ethical AI.

11:50 KEYNOTE

Steve Babitch, Head of Artificial Intelligence, GSA Technology Transformation Services

12:15 pm IDC Morning Wrap-Up

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

12:25 Networking and Lunch/Dessert with Exhibitors

12:35 - 12:55 Luncheon Keynote: Presentation to be Announced

VMWare Executive

1:00 Afternoon Track Sessions

4:55 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall

5:30 Close of Day 1

October 19, 2021 | 9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET

8:15 am Registration Opens

8:15 Morning Coffee

9:00 Conference Chair Introduction Day 2

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

9:15 KEYNOTE: Advancing Trustworthy AI and ML Techniques for Mitigating Agency Risks

Pamela Isom Pamela K. Isom, Acting Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office, Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO) for Architecture, Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (AET&I), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)

You have most likely heard about the risks associated with leveraging AI and Machine Learning (ML) assets but what exactly do we mean and how might one go about establishing trustworthy AI outcomes? Everyone speaks about data as the biggest hurdle and time consumer for data science, but what is the linkage to responsible, explainable, trustworthy AI and ethics? The presenter is passionate about mitigating risks and delves into this evolutionary topic with a focus on AI and ML, with practical methodologies and applied outcomes that are making a difference for better AI/ML stewardship in both public and private sectors.

9:40 KEYNOTE

10:05 KEYNOTE: Best Practices for Implementing AI at Scale

Anil Chaudhry, Director, Federal AI Implementations, AI Center of Excellence Technology Transformation Services, General Services Administration (GSA)

For organizations looking for “what works” in procuring AI services, hiring trained staff, preparing a program justification or capturing program accomplishment, Anil Chaudhry will offer some tips and best practices from GSA’s AI Center of Excellence.

10:30 am - 12:40 pm Exhibit Hall Hours

10:30 Coffee Break with Exhibitors

10:50 KEYNOTE: The Beginnings of AI Engineering: Thinking through How to Build AI Better

Matthew Gaston, PhD, Director, Emerging Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University
Interest and investment in modern AI techniques have produced powerful capabilities in computer vision, natural language generation, and game playing. However, building AI systems is still a craft and many AI projects fail to make it to production. This keynote will motivate the need for an AI Engineering discipline, lay out a framework for AI Engineering, and identify initial progress toward realizing scalable, robust, and human-centered AI systems.

11:15 EXECUTIVE ROUNDTABLE: AI, Ethics and Smart Policy

Join this executive panel discussion to glean best practice insights from global leaders in the AI ethics and smart policy sphere. This session will dive into the progress that has been made internationally in creating AI systems that are safe and trustworthy. It will also address how public sector agencies can work collaboratively to enact smart policy frameworks to help guide technology deployments effectively and ethically.

Moderator:

Alison Brooks, PhD, Research Vice President, Worldwide Public Safety, IDC

Panelists:

Ross Coffey, Military Professor of National Security Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Naval War College

Carol Smith Carol J. Smith, Senior Research Scientist, Human-Machine Interaction, Software Engineering Institute, Emerging Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon University

Sara Jordan, PhD, Policy Counsel, Artificial Intelligence, The Future of Privacy Forum

11:50 IDC Morning Wrap-Up

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

12:00 pm Networking and Lunch/Dessert with Exhibitors

12:40 Afternoon Track Sessions

3:25 Close of AI World Government 2021

Track 1: Scaling and Operationalizing AI

October 18, 2021 | 1:00 – 4:55 pm ET

Track Chair:

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

The successful deployment of AI will prove to be valuable for government agencies, but several challenges remain in moving beyond simple intelligent automation like RPA and chatbots to reach the goal of augmented intelligence. In this track we will present agency and industry executives with experience confronting these challenges and how they are dealing with roadblocks and learning from their successful strategies. Topics include:

Confronting the challenges of scaling and operationalizing AI
How to use AI to improve service delivery
Federal agency case studies which focus on the challenges and specific solutions
Reengineering agency workflows and processes
Developing data management and governance strategies
Organizing stakeholders to determine roles of team members
Creating policies to ensure responsible and ethical AI

1:00 pm Opening Remarks

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

1:15 Presentation be Announced

Speaker Placeholder Alion Science Executive

1:40 Policies and Framework for Ensuring Ethical AI
Alka Patel, Chief, Responsible AI at Department of Defense, Joint AI Center

Responsible and ethical use of AI includes protecting individuals from harm based on either algorithmic or data bias or unintended correlation of personally identifiable information (PII) even when using anonymous data. Explore the Department of Defense's AI Ethics Principles (Responsible, Equitable, Traceable, Reliable and Governable), core to operationalizing AI. Learn how to put them into practice in the design, development, deployment, and use of AI-enabled capabilities.

2:05 CO-PRESENTATION: All the Hype but Low Traction: Seeking an Adoption Philosophy to Advance AI Technology

Olga Livingston, PhD, Senior Economist, Office of the Chief Economist, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Brett Tucker, Technical Manager, Cyber Risk Management, CERT, Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute

Despite the vast potential applications of AI to improve and transform federal government agencies and the services they provide; adoption of AI across the federal government remains relatively low. This discussion will highlight the barriers and catalysts of the AI adoption in the federal sector with specific focus on the need for transparent performance data and significant effort towards demystification of the AI to allow for evidence-based adoption decisions.

2:30 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall

3:10 PANEL: Experience Exchange – Overcoming the Barriers to Scaling and Operationalizing AI

All digital transformation requires people, process, and technology components to be planned and deployed in unison. AI is no different; it only has the ability to scale or fail much faster if not planned and implemented properly. Based on experiences with AI projects including developing scalable data and analytics services in the federal government, predictive maintenance for an aircraft fleet, and the identification of illicit wildlife trafficking across an entire continent, this panel will share practical lessons that can be leveraged to overcome challenges and ensure project success.

Moderator:

Taka Ariga, Chief Data Scientist, Director, Innovation Lab, U.S. Government Accountability Office

Panelists:

Jaime Fitzgibbon, AI/ML Program Manager, Contractor, Department of Defense, Defense Innovation Unit

Ambuj Neupane, Director, Data and Analytics, Centers of Excellence, General Services Administration (GSA)

Landon Van Dyke, Senior Advisor for the Office of Management, Strategy & Solutions, U.S. Department of State

Speaker Placeholder Carahsoft Technology Corp. Executive

3:45 The Value and Risk of Using AI in Government Systems

William Novak, MS, Principal Member of Technical Staff, Software Solutions Division, Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute

As the number of potential application areas for AI in government systems grows, so does the potential consequences of shortcomings of such systems in applications where reputational, economic, or even physical harm could come to individuals, or to the implementing organization. This presentation discusses a simple approach to thinking about the value vs. risk trade-off that should be considered before embarking on the implementation of AI-enabled government systems.

4:10 Presentation to be Announced

4:35 IDC Wrap-Up Day 1

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

4:55 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall

5:30 Close of Day 1

Track 2: Emerging AI Technologies

October 18, 2021 | 1:00 – 4:55 pm ET

Track Chair:

Curt Savoie, Program Director, Global Smart Cities Strategies, IDC

Your agency has begun implementing ML, DL & AI tools into current workflows and infrastructure and are starting to see some gains, but where do you go from here and what’s coming next? With AI and its associated intelligent technologies continuing to advance each day with the potential to enable new applications and drive even greater efficiencies, those spearheading digital transformation within government agencies must stay up to speed on these emerging tools. This track provides attendees with a roadmap for the continuing evolution of AI over the next few years. Topics include:

The State of AI Today within Government and What’s Coming Next?
Short vs. Long-Term Government Needs and Associated Technologies Available
Latest Advances in Computer Vision, Facial Recognition & Image Analysis with AI
Future Conversational AI & Language-Based AI
Developments in Autonomous Vehicles and Drones
Advances in Intelligent and Robotic Process Automation
Everything You Need to Know About Quantum Computing
AI at the Edge – Edge vs. Cloud Computing in Government
Combining AI with Augmented and Virtual Reality

1:00 pm Opening Remarks

Curt Savoie, Program Director, Global Smart Cities Strategies, IDC

1:15 Presentation to be Announced

Speaker Placeholder DataRobot Executive

1:40 Innovation Equity & AI: Technology’s Role in Inclusiveness, Resilience & Equality in the Post-COVID era

Rhonda Binda, Queens Deputy Borough President, Office of the Queens Borough President

How can governments and industry work together to invest in technologies to close gaps, remove barriers, and provide underserved populations access to new opportunities?
Re-thinking R&D practices, increasing mobility and access, connecting to more digital services, and having the ability to live in safe, smart, and resilient communities.
What is the role of AI and emerging technologies such as quantum to close gap and build resilience?
How to ensure all communities have the resources, tools and talent to bounce back from the pandemic era, and what role can AI/quantum play?

2:05 Real-World AI for Transportation Safety Research

Robert Rittmuller, Machine Learning Technical Team Lead/Technologist, U.S. Department of Transportation

The use of AI in transportation research is revolutionizing how we collect, analyze, and ultimately understand transportation data. Policy decisions resulting from research can have massive and difficult to predict impacts on mobility, safety, and the economy. This presentation will cover multiple USDOT projects where AI was used to extract insights from transportation datasets using computer vision. Use cases, technical challenges and successful methodologies will be discussed that illustrate how AI can be leveraged to improve transportation research and safety.

2:30 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall

3:10 PANEL: Outlining the Necessary Foundations to Leverage Evolving & Emerging AI Technologies & Applications

This panel will convene those actively involved in ML & AI projects to share their experiences and tangible learnings on the implementation of current AI tools, as well as how to plan for the successful implementation of emerging and future technologies as they become available. This panel will tackle key topics including:

Uncovering the technologies, frameworks and foundations that must be in place today to ensure government agencies are ready to implement future technologies as they become available
Short vs. long-term strategic planning for AI
Developing your AI roadmap for 2022 and beyond
COVID-19 Impacts – which technologies have been accelerated vs those held back?
How to incorporate advances in technology into overall business strategy?
How do you take a long-established organization to the point of true digital transformation with AI?
What’s coming next?

Moderator:

Curt Savoie, Program Director, Global Smart Cities Strategies, IDC

Panelists:

Anil Chaudhry, Director of AI Implementations, IT Modernization Centers of Excellence, General Services Administration (GSA)

Krista Kinnard, Chief, Emerging Technology, U.S. Department of Labor OCIO

Jean-Charles Lede, Autonomy Technology Advisor, Air Force Research Lab, U.S. Air Force

3:45 AI in Action: Emerging Applications of AI for Good

Neama Dadkhahnikoo, Director of AI and Data Operations, Prize Operation, XPRIZE

The IBM Watson AI XPRIZE was a 5-year competition that challenged teams from all around the world to use AI to solve grand challenges. In this talk, hear from two of the finalist teams about how they use AI in the real world to solve issues such as depression, combatting sex trafficking, and malaria prevention. Learn about how incentivized prizes can help government organizations drive innovation through public/private collaborations, and how responsible and inclusive AI can uplift humanity.

4:10 Presentation to be Announced

4:35 IDC Wrap-Up Day 1

Curt Savoie, Program Director, Global Smart Cities Strategies, IDC

4:55 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall

5:30 Close of Day 1

Track 3: Infrastructure Transformation

October 18, 2021 | 1:00 – 4:55 pm ET

Track Chair: Shawn McCarthy, Research Director, Government Infrastructure and Systems Optimization Strategies, IDC

As government IT departments continue to explore ways that AI can enable innovation, productivity, and efficiencies, a key question is how to develop the right talent and infrastructure to support these compute-intensive, next-generation applications. From cloud-based data centers to edge computing nodes, AI demands a tremendous number of resources and budget, whilst also requiring the skillsets to effectively manage these applications. This track explores the people, process and tools required to help organizations capitalize on the potential of AI and machine learning and provides best practice examples of agencies on the cutting edge of AI and ML implementations. Topics include:

Build vs buy necessary infrastructure to capitalize on the potential of AI
Talent, skills and training needs
budget and procurement vehicles
Data Management: Leveraging the Federal Data Strategy
Infrastructure transformation: Overcoming infrastructure challenges to AI adoption

1:00 pm Opening Remarks

Shawn McCarthy, Research Director, Government Infrastructure and Systems Optimization Strategies, IDC

1:15 Presentation to be Announced

1:40 Building the Army's AI Development Platform: Victories and Lessons Learned

Isaac Faber, PhD, Chief Data Scientist, U.S. Army Artificial Intelligence Task Force, Futures Command Artificial Intelligence Task Force, United States Army

Coeus is a collaborative platform for the Army’s data workforce including data scientists, data analysts, data labelers and machine learning (artificial intelligence) engineers. The platform's purpose is to make infrastructure, data, and software resources easy to access and share in collaborative settings for data projects. This talk presents Coeus, its features, capabilities, and discusses lessons learned and challenges that were overcome during development and deployment providing AI specific insight on the architecture and tooling for an effective AI modeling development system.

2:05 When You Think AI, Do You Think Talent and Budget? Probably not…But You Should

Speaker Placeholder Eileen Vidrine, Chief Data Officer, U.S. Air Force

At the foundation of thriving AI ecosystems lies forecasted views of talent resources, up-leveling and training needs, and budget and procurement vehicles – existing and imagined – to remain agile and advance at the speed of mission and relevancy. Talent and Budget are often underemphasized but are essential to building the right culture of AI innovation and success.

2:30 Refreshment Break in the Exhibit Hall

3:10 PANEL: Transformation of Infrastructure BOTH to Support AI and by AI

Unleashing the power of AI has been a key priority for government for some time now; however, legacy frameworks and systems combined with cost and resource limitations can often mean that the infrastructure required to support AI is far from reality. On the other side of this discussion, AI can also be applied to assist/monitor/improve existing infrastructure and data collection. This panel explores both sides of this coin. Key questions to be discussed include:

What are the fundamental infrastructure capabilities necessary to support AI? (i.e., high compute and storage capacity and robust networking infrastructure)
Infrastructure transformation: overcoming challenges to AI adoption
Build vs. buy?
Should legacy systems be upgraded or is an overhaul required?
What are the impacts from remote working? (i.e., privacy implications)
How can AI assist in the monitoring and management of system and network resources?
Establishing secure systems and using AI to monitor security?
Using AI to reduce system costs and improve performance

Moderator:

Shawn McCarthy, Research Director, Government Infrastructure and Systems Optimization Strategies, IDC

Panelists:

Ola Olude-Afolabi, PhD, Technology Business Management (TBM) OSSD Liaison/IT PM, Office of Enterprise Technology, Office of Secretary, CIO, U.S. Department of Commerce

Calvert Smith, Director, Cloud Adoption, Centers of Excellence, GSA TTS

3:45 Categorizing Drug Labels for Geriatric Considerations Using Natural Language Processing

Qais Hatim, PhD, Data Scientist, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Natural Language Processing (NLP) may greatly improve the efficiency of recognizing adverse events and other terms of interest in specific populations. Given a data set of labels for prescription drugs, develop an automated solution to process a label using NLP to categorize the drug as having special considerations for geriatric use. Moreover, NLP is used to identify adverse events from the FDA drug product labels that may affect the geriatric populations and negate any adverse events that were falsely recognized due to being predisposing conditions. An automated scoring system is developed to search the FDA drug product labels and use the MedDRA ontology to identify relevant geriatric adverse events. Additionally, pattern recognition is utilized to eliminate terms in order to further increase precision by eliminating errors in negative words, results due to animal studies and predisposing conditions. This model will be used by the FDA to determine drugs that may be of risk to the geriatric population. This work will be the base for more extensive scoring systems that will allow the FDA to identify drug labels that are consistent with labeling recommendations for the elderly.

4:10 Presentation to be Announced

4:35 IDC Wrap-Up Day 1

Shawn McCarthy, Research Director, Government Infrastructure and Systems Optimization Strategies, IDC

4:55 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall

5:30 Close of Day 1

Track 4: Risk, Resiliency & Responsible AI

October 19, 2021 | 12:40 – 3:25 pm ET

Track Chairs:
Matthew Butkovic, Technical Director, Cyber Risk and Resilience Directorate, CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

Randall (Randy) F. Trzeciak, Principal Researcher; Technical Director (Acting) of the Security Automation Directorate at CERT; Deputy Director of the Cyber Risk and Resilience Directorate at CERT; Director of the CERT National Insider Threat Center, CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

AI has injected new capabilities into government and is already improving the missions and functions of federal, state, and local governments as well as governments globally. However, with globally interconnected IT allowing criminals, fraudsters, and hostile nations to continuously innovate, we must be mindful of AI-related risks related to cybersecurity and counter-misinformation and continue to build resilience, whilst ensuring responsible AI. Furthermore, AI itself has unique security challenges because of the nature of the algorithms involved so AI should be developed through a “secure by design” approach and algorithms must be protected. This track will convene AI security experts alongside those who are responsible for risk and security within government agencies to share lessons learned and best practices in mitigating these serious challenges. Topics include:

Creating Your AI and Cybersecurity Strategy
Guidelines for Responsible AI
AI, Risk Mitigation and Building Resilience
What Are the Key Threats to Watch Out For?
Application of AI for Predicting and Preventing Cybersecurity Threats
New Challenges in Countering Misinformation and Disinformation
How to Fool an AI by Feeding It Misleading Data?
How to Know If Either an External or An Internal AI Is Leading You Astray, And What to Do About It
Call to Action for Mitigating Future Risk and Threats

12:40 pm Opening Remarks

Matthew Butkovic, Technical Director, Cyber Risk and Resilience Directorate, CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

12:55 Presentation to be Announced

1:20 PANEL: Defend against AI-Related Threats: Risk Mitigation Strategies and Building Resilience

Federal government agencies must become more resilient in order to maximize their ability to withstand disruptions. Shifts in technology provide such disruption with Artificial Intelligence (AI) being no exception. This panel will convene AI security experts alongside those responsible for security within government agencies to share risk response strategies and key lessons learned. Attendees will learn the importance of good risk management practices that reduce exposure to serious cybersecurity and AI-related threats. Key topics to be discussed include:

Key risks to consider with new technologies
Analytic strategies to qualify and quantify risk
Optimal frameworks with security and risk management at the forefront
Potential application of AI for addressing cybersecurity threats
New challenges in managing data in terms of amount as much as quality
Supply chain risk management considerations for AI related technologies

Moderator:

Chuck Brooks, Adjunct Faculty, Graduate in Applied Intelligence Program, Georgetown University

Panelists:

Speaker Placeholder Brett Tucker, Technical Manager, Cyber Risk Management, Software Engineering Institute

Amy Henninger Amy E. Henninger, PhD, CEH, CISSP, CMSP, HQE Senior Advisor for Software and Cybersecurity; Director Operational Test and Evaluation, Department of Defense

Martin Stanley, Branch Chief, Strategic Technology, Office of The Chief Technology Officer, CISA, DHS ‘Pending Agency Approval’

1:55 Refreshment Break

2:05 Protect Your Machine Learning Applications from SolarWinds' Attacks

Mark Sherman, PhD, Director, Cybersecurity Security Foundations Directorate, CERT Division, Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute

Machine learning applications are more susceptible to SolarWinds-style attacks than conventional software. Building and deploying machine learning applications expand the cyber risk based on more dependencies on multiple and deep supply chains. Organizations need to understand the risks being introduced and plan for appropriate measures to manage the risk.

2:30 Responsible AI Guidelines

Jared Dunnmon, PhD, Technical Director, AI/ML, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), U.S. Department of Defense

Bryce Goodman, Chief Strategist for AI, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), U.S. Department of Defense

In early 2020, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) launched a strategic initiative to put Department of Defense Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethical Principles into practice. DIU’s Responsible AI Guidelines, provide operationally-focused guidance on how to implement the AI principles at each step in the development cycle. The Guidelines are actively deployed in 6 DIU programs ranging from software to hardware applications. This panel will provide a Guideline overview and lessons learned.

2:55 Closing Plenary Session

Moderator:

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

Panelists:

Curt Savoie, Program Director, Global Smart Cities Strategies, IDC

Shawn McCarthy, Research Director, Government Infrastructure and Systems Optimization Strategies, IDC

Matthew Butkovic, Technical Director, Cyber Risk and Resilience Directorate, CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

3:25 Close of AI World Government 2021

Track 5: Future of Work

October 19, 2021 | 12:40 – 3:25 pm ET

Track Chair: Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

As government and private sector organizations navigate new ways of working, fundamental questions revolve around "what applications should be deployed" and "what new skillsets are required"? The growth and adoption of AI and intelligent automation solutions are giving rise to a new "digital worker" – automated technology that is rapidly changing the nature of the human workforce and related skillsets. Work transformation is about rethinking the way work gets done. It is a fundamental shift in the work model to one that fosters human-machine collaboration, enables new skills and worker experiences and supports an intelligent and dynamic environment unbounded by time or physical space. This track will explore how work transformation impacts strategic government functions today and in the future. Topics include:

Strategies to address talent, skills and training
How are agencies deploying AI enabled technologies to recruit, train and retain key personnel and enhance their future of work capabilities?
How to develop an AI ready workforce?
How are agencies using AI technologies (including VR) as an immersive environment to safely practice skills?

12:40 pm Opening Remarks

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

12:55 Presentation to be Announced

1:20 PANEL: Mindset Needs, Skillset Myths, and Achieving Magic in AI Engineering Teams

A diverse workforce is needed to ensure implementation of human-centered and resilient AI systems. This panel will explore skillsets and mindsets needed, why, and how to look for them both within your organization and among potential recruits. Discuss why bringing diverse groups together and expecting magic is insufficient, and what type of structures are needed to enable teams to achieve desired outcomes.

Moderator:

Rachel Dzombak, PhD, Digital Transformation Lead, Emerging Technology Center, Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute

Panelists:

Dorothy Aronson, Chief Information Officer/Chief Data Officer, Office of the Director, National Science Foundation

Bryan Lane, Director, Data & AI, General Services Administration (GSA)

Vivek Rao, PhD, Innovation & Research in Design, Technology, and Business, UC Berkeley College of Engineering

1:55 Refreshment Break

2:05 AI and Machine Learning Transformation at NASA

Edward McLarney, Digital Transformation Lead for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (NASA BIO); Transformation Integration Lead, Transformation and Data Division (NASA CIO); Data Science Strategic Lead (NASA Langley Research Center)

Explore NASA’s AI/ML transformation strategy and initial implementation progress, focusing on learning and development approaches, outreach, and ethical AI guidance. AI/ML learning and development has included assessing the workforce’s needs, organizing available learning assets, and providing easy mechanisms to choose materials. Any transformation requires outreach, and NASA’s AI/ML team has created an internal web space, with plans for a public-facing AI/ML web space in the near-future. Finally, like many organizations, NASA must guide early adopters of AI in ethical use; Mr. McLarney will share NASA’s initial approaches to ethical AI.

2:30 Enhancing AI Readiness through Experiential AI Challenges

Elaine Johanson, Health Informatics Senior Manager, DHHS, Food & Drug Administration

Experiential learning can increase workforce AI readiness and bridge the gap between self-paced virtual training and utilizing AI. FDA’s precisionFDA, a secure, collaborative, cloud-based, high-performance computing platform for hosting, managing, and analyzing large datasets, hosts AI/ML challenges and app-a-thons that enable experiential learning and stimulate development of innovative analytics to inform regulatory science. This session will provide an understanding for how to utilize AI/ML challenges and hack-a-thons to increase AI engagement, awareness, and readiness among staff and external stakeholders. In addition, gain best practices for utilizing crowdsourcing effectively to upskill the workforce.

2:55 Closing Plenary Session

Moderator:

Adelaide O'Brien Adelaide O’Brien, Research Director, Government Digital Transformation Strategies, IDC

Panelists:

Curt Savoie, Program Director, Global Smart Cities Strategies, IDC

Shawn McCarthy, Research Director, Government Infrastructure and Systems Optimization Strategies, IDC

Matthew Butkovic, Technical Director, Cyber Risk and Resilience Directorate, CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)

Randall (Randy) F. Trzeciak, Principal Researcher, Technical Director (Acting) of the Security Automation Directorate at CERT, Deputy Director of the Cyber Risk and Resilience Directorate at CERT, Director of the CERT National Insider Threat Center, CERT Division of the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

3:25 Close of AI World Government 2021