Skyler Bernards
Michaela Mesquite is the Acting Group Chief for Augmenting Intelligence using Machines at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Her duties encompass propelling the progress of Artificial Intelligence (AI) across the Intelligence Community (IC) by synchronizing investments, facilitating expert alliances, and developing policies.
Michaela Mesquite is a panelist for the 5th Annual Intelligence Summit hosted by the Potomac Officers Club. Register here.
Who is Michaela Mesquite?
Michaela Mesquite ensures that AI is used ethically for military, intelligence, and national security. She started as an imagery analyst at NGA, working on different missions, including theatre deployment. She later became a Senior GEOINT Officer.
Michaela studied Remote Sensing and GIS at Pennsylvania State University while working as an intelligence officer. Before joining NGA, she earned a master’s degree in International Relations from Boston College and two bachelor’s degrees in Internal Relations and Political Science from the University of Washington.
Catch Michaela Mesquite at the Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Artificial Intelligence Summit
WHEN
Thursday, March 21, 2024
7:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Eastern Time Zone
WHERE
Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park
3111 Fairview Park Dr,
Falls Church, VA 22042
The Potomac Officers Club’s 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit gathers federal leaders and industry experts to discuss the transformative power of AI. Following the White House’s AI Executive Order, the summit opens crucial discussions for AI development in the federal sector.
Keynotes from leaders in the CIA, DARPA, and DHS highlight the government’s commitment to AI for national security.
Michaela Mesquite will join a panel, “Diagnosis in the Human Enterprise (Getting to Leading Indicator).” Her co-panelists include Andrew Auerbach, Dan Hudson, Michaela Mesquite, Dr. Patrick O’Connell, and Nanda Ramanujam (Moderator). Register here.
Why You Shouldn’t Miss Michaela Mesquite at the 5th Annual AI Summit
Michaela Mesquite is a valuable speaker for the 5th Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit for her expertise and leadership of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s Augmenting Intelligence using Machines (AIM) group. She provides insights on several key topics, including:
Development of AI Ethics Frameworks: Michaela Mesquite has been a key player in developing ODNI’s AI ethics framework, focusing on transparency and ethical considerations. Her insights are valuable for creating ethical guidelines for AI across various sectors.
AI Governance Policy: She has also worked on crafting a comprehensive AI governance policy for the Intelligence Community. She could discuss the challenges and strategies in developing policies to ensure responsible AI use.
Diagnosis in the Human Enterprise: Michaela Mesquite could explore how AI predicts and addresses organizational challenges before they escalate. This enables better management and decision-making.
Operationalizing AI Ethics: Her work on operationalizing AI ethics in military and intelligence domains provides practical insights into implementing ethical principles in high-stakes environments. She could share insights on ensuring ethical, effective, and appropriate AI applications.
AI Policy and Strategy Development: Having been deeply involved in creating AI policy and strategy within the IC, Mesquite could offer valuable lessons on the policy-making process. This may include setting directives, standards, and governance structures to guide AI use.
Read more: 7 Artificial Intelligence Companies Pushing the Boundaries of AI Innovation in 2023
Challenges Facing the Implementation of AI in the Federal Government
Organizational Change Management: Adopting AI requires changes in how organizations and federal agencies define roles and workflows. Staff must be trained and understand AI, limits, and ethical issues. This is crucial as AI is now used in public health, supply chain, and procurement.
Ethical Governance: It’s important to consider ethics when using AI in public services. A good framework should provide clear ethical principles for decision-making. This can be done through public consultations, discussion groups, and co-design approaches to ensure AI systems meet societal values and needs.
Comprehensive Federal Data Privacy and Security Law: The U.S. lacks a single federal law covering data privacy and AI security, leaving many industries and civilians unprotected. Existing laws like the Privacy Act of 1974, HIPAA, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and COPPA are specific to certain industries but don’t offer a unified solution to data privacy and security for all personal information.
The American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) aims to address this gap by proposing national standards to safeguard personal information. It also includes protections against discriminatory algorithm impacts.
