The United States is undergoing a major transformation in the application of artificial intelligence to the federal government. The Biden administration has vigorously promoted the adoption of AI by federal agencies over the past year, and the incoming Trump administration is also formulating a new AI strategy, which will have a profound impact on the application of AI in federal agencies. The different policy orientations and priorities of the two governments will lead to differences in federal AI development paths. This article will analyze the AI policies of the two governments, the current status of AI applications in federal agencies, and future development trends.
The Biden administration has spent the past year working to establish a framework for federal agencies to use artificial intelligence (AI) tools, and the incoming Trump administration has also begun developing a new strategy for AI applications in the federal government. During his campaign, Trump promised to repeal the Biden administration's executive orders on AI and expressed his hope to support "AI development based on free speech and human welfare."
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Trump's AI policy team is gradually taking shape, and he announced a series of appointments earlier this month. Well-known technology investor David Sacks will be appointed as the government’s “AI and Cryptocurrency Commissioner.” Sacks and Elon Musk, another key appointee in charge of government efficiency, are PayPal co-founders. In addition, Trump also announced that former chief technology officer Michael Kratsios will serve as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and become the president's science and technology adviser.
Former Microsoft executive Sriram Krishnan will also serve as OSTP's senior policy advisor on AI. Trump signed multiple executive orders related to AI during his first term, and he is expected to revisit the topic with further executive actions.
Federal agencies are increasingly discovering application scenarios for AI and have identified more than 1,700 potential AI use cases, 500 more than a year ago. The Departments of Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs are particularly active in exploring AI applications. Kurt DelBene, Assistant Secretary for Information Technology at the Department of Veterans Affairs, said that AI use cases at the VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) will continue to grow, and more applications will be added in the future.
For example, the VA is piloting ambient dictation technology, an AI-powered logging tool that will provide real-time records during appointments for veterans and medical staff. Nadia Smith, director of VA digital health, said that more than 200 vendors made proposals for AI technology in the AI Challenge, and VA plans to launch a pilot of environmental recording in the near future.
The Biden administration has invested approximately $30 billion in federal AI use cases, according to a year-end impact report from the Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer. At the same time, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released the first government-wide policy to guide agencies on how to reduce risks while enjoying the benefits of AI. Agencies have also appointed more than 250 AI experts to achieve the goal of recruiting 500 AI experts by the end of fiscal year 2025.
Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana said in an interview that a lot of work has been put into building an inventory of AI use cases, but it still needs to be accelerated. She suggested that the Trump administration consider adopting a shared services model to accelerate AI applications among agencies.
Highlights:
- The Trump administration has established an AI policy team and attached great importance to the development of artificial intelligence.
- Federal agencies have identified more than 1,700 AI application scenarios, particularly in the health and veterans affairs sectors.
- The Biden administration has invested approximately US$30 billion in AI and appointed more than 250 AI experts to support related work.
All in all, the U.S. federal government continues to increase its application and investment in AI. Although the policy priorities of the two governments are different, they both reflect the importance they attach to the development and application of AI technology. In the future, AI applications in federal agencies will be further deepened and expanded to provide strong support for improving government efficiency and service levels.