Jane Edwards
Susan Penfield, chief technology officer at Booz Allen Hamilton, said the U.S. technology industry and the public sector must advance collaboration, accelerate the decision-making process by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence and data and make trust as a principle of innovation.
Penfield wrote in an article published Thursday on Fast Company that the U.S. government has launched initiatives to collaborate with industry, such as the other transaction authorities and CHIPS and Science Act meant to reinforce capabilities in semiconductors.
“Over the long term, established players in this technology ecosystem have a responsibility to reconsider legacy roles and streamline pathways to bring diverse talent and ideas to the table,” she said.
“As we look to the future, empowering non-traditional partners is fundamental in achieving our ultimate objective: To convene a mission-focused ecosystem that can rapidly swarm a problem in the interests of national security and the American public,” Penfield noted.
She also highlighted the need for agencies to address challenges associated with data processing, ingestion and correlation to realize the value of AI and called on federal tech partners to advance investments in AI and data maturity.
“This entails committing outsized resources to research and development, testing in the field, and upskilling talent to ensure U.S. application of AI creates operational advantage—and decision advantage—for missions spanning defense, immigration and migration, public health, climate change, and more,” Penfield added.
When advancing AI and machine learning capabilities, programs must turn trust from a concept into a requirement to “ensure applied algorithms are improving society in an ethical and equitable manner that can be measured and monitored,” Penfield wrote.
