Weekly Roundup: September 30-October 4, 2024

IRS Doubles Number of States Using Direct File for 2025. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced this week that its Direct File tool will be available in 12 additional states for the 2025 tax season, making the free e-filing service available in a total of 24 states. In 2025, more than 30 million taxpayers in those 24 states will be eligible to use Direct File. Additional states could still join Direct File in 2025, and according to the IRS, several states have expressed interest or announced that they will participate in Direct File in 2026.

GAO’s Walsh: Federal Chief AI Officers Need a Seat at the Table.  While the chief AI officer (CAIO) is still a relatively new position within most Federal agencies, Kevin Walsh, a director of IT and cybersecurity at Government Accountability Office (GAO) argued that CAIOs need to be given more of “a seat at the table” in order to effect change. “Empower our chief AI officers, don’t have them just be a policy shop, have them actually involved in the monitoring and control, but it’s going to be hard to set up a new, almost silo, in an organization,” Walsh said.

DHS 2025 Threat Assessment Keys on ‘Peril’ of GenAI. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is warning of the “peril” of generative AI as malicious use of the emerging technology works to increase the cyber threat to U.S. networks in 2025 and beyond. DHS released its annual threat assessment for 2025, highlighting that generative AI will have the “unintended consequence of adding layers of complexity to the threats we face.”

Quantum Prep: CISA Pushes Data-First Protection Strategies. Automating cryptographic assets, assessing tools, and shifting to data-centric inventories are among the top strategies that Federal government agencies should be pursuing to protect their data in the run-up to maturity of quantum computing, according to Garfield Jones, associate chief of strategic technology at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

CISA, NCA Kick Off Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance, along with other Federal agency partners, this week kicked off the 21st annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Throughout the month of October, CISA and its partners will educate the public on how to stay safe online, focusing on this year’s theme: Secure Our World. “CISA is excited to again partner with the National Cybersecurity Alliance and lead the Federal government’s efforts to reduce online risk during this 21st Cybersecurity Awareness month and every month,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement.

Feds, Industry Stress Values-First Approach to AI Deployment. Federal government and industry officials talked about the importance of adopting responsible artificial intelligence practices during a panel discussion on Oct. 2, and in particular making sure that use of the technology matches up with an organization’s values before going ahead with deployment. 

OMB Unveils First Governmentwide AI Acquisition Policy. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) today released guidance that directs Federal agencies to improve their capacity for the responsible acquisition of AI.  OMB’s memo on Advancing the Responsible Acquisition of AI in Government contains new requirements for agencies on establishing meaningful cross-functional and interagency collaboration to reflect new AI responsibilities, managing AI risk and performance, and promoting a competitive AI market with innovative acquisition.

AI Ethics: Officials Discuss Paths to Safe, Purpose-Driven AI. As the use of artificial intelligence technologies continues to grow, Federal and industry officials explained on Tuesday the importance of industry-led regulation development, workforce training, and creating limited-purpose AI applications as three ways to further the cause of making sure that AI tech is used safely and responsibly.

How Are Feds Meeting IDEA Act Requirements for a Digital Government? The 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience (IDEA) Act requires public-facing Federal agency websites to meet several modernization standards to be more accessible, user-friendly, and secure. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) took a deep dive to find out how the 24 Federal CFO Act agencies did in meeting those requirements in 2023, but it discovered a problem: many agencies didn’t submit their progress reports on those efforts. Overall, the 24 CFO Act agencies submitted 70 percent of the 120 total required annual reports between December 2019 and December 2023 – when the reporting requirement sunsetted.

NAPA Names Blockwood President, Adds Fed Tech Fellows. The National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) – a congressionally chartered non-profit that conducts research and other work addressing government challenges – has appointed James-Christian Blockwood as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer, effective in January 2025. Blockwood will succeed Terry Gerton, who is finishing up an eight-year term as NAPA’s president and CEO.

A Guide to Being a Great Panelist. Serving on a professional panel is a big opportunity. It’s a chance to showcase your expertise, network, and contribute to industry dialogue. How can you take advantage of it? First, make sure to prepare. It’s also useful to research the other panelists and audience to see where you each connect (or don’t). You should have three to five talking points you want to make throughout the event and cater them to the demographic of the audience. On the day of the event, show up early and connect with the moderator. Stick to the main subject matter and avoid going off on tangents.

THIS WEEK @ THE CENTER 

ICYMI--Pursuing Effective Public Impact. This week Michael Keegan welcomed Adrian Brown, Executive Director, The Centre for Public Impact to discuss what it takes to make effective public impact. They discussed how to measure public impact, strategies governments can use to rebuild trust and legitimacy, and how governments can implement systems thinking to tackle multifaceted challenges.