April 22, 2024

Good morning, and Happy Earth Day. Let's kick off this celebration with a big inhale of fresh air and a high-five to Mother Nature for being the ultimate boss lady. Dive into the "Shower Thoughts" section below for a sneak peek at what the government's been cooking up for Earth Day.

—The GovBrew Crew

QUICK HITS

• AI explosion is fueling better data management: AI does its best work when it has solid, comprehensive data to pull from.

• $95B defense supplemental aid: $61B for Ukraine, $26B for Israel, and $8B for Taiwan, including advanced procurement for submarines.

• Equal scores, unequal rights: GAO highlights limitations of adjectival scores in agency source selection decisions.

• Event: Don’t miss AWS’s Innovate Day on May 15 in Arlington, VA.

• US seeks alliance with Abu Dhabi on AI: As Microsoft invests $1.5B in G42, an Abu Dhabi-based AI group.

DEFENSE & AEROSPACE

Here are major trends and takeaways from the DOD’s Unfunded Priority Lists.

Fourteen UPLs are available publicly. (The Missile Defense Agency, which normally submits one, did not even do a rollout briefing and is unlikely to submit a UPL at this late date, while Special Operations Command’s list has not come to public yet.) The 14 UPLs total $29.4 billion, a near-record amount that clashes with the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA). Read more

Army SOF’s new drone course teaches gamer and maker skills.

When Army special operations soldier Josh arrived in Poland to train Ukrainian soldiers, his students were skeptical of his prowess in flying the high-speed racing drones they use to launch pinpoint strikes on Russian positions. They said his use of his thumbs rather than index and thumb to control the joysticks was wrong. So he challenged the Ukrainian soldiers to a friendly drone race to find out who was right. Josh won race after race. Read more

“Poisoned” data could wreck AIs in wartime.

The fundamental problem is that every machine-learning algorithm has to be trained on data — lots and lots of data. The Pentagon is making a tremendous effort to collect, collate, curate, and clean its data so analytic algorithms and infant AIs can make sense of it. In particular, the prep team needs to throw out any erroneous datapoints before the algorithm can learn the wrong thing. Read more

ICYMI:

• GAO: New DOD EHR system needs further improvements; user satisfaction rates for it are lower than the legacy program it replaces.

• Opinion: Here’s where DOD IT priorities remain as the second half of FY24 begins.

• What air defense systems might Iran have used to shoot down Israel’s attack? AD-200, AD-150, AD-75, AD-40, DIMDEX.

• Work is underway on large cargo landers for NASA’s Artemis Moon missions.

• Video: AF stages dogfights with AI-flown fighter jet.

Defense Contract Awards

• Lockheed Martin won an $88M contract to overhaul the B-2 digital receiver and legacy defense message system.

• BlueHalo won a $25M AF contract to protect strategic space interests.

• Data Computer Corporation of America won a $1M DISA contract for C2 Portfolio and Program Systems Support (JC2PPS).

• Insero Corporation won a $2M AF AFCEC IT Support Services Emergency Bridge contract.

Follow the Defense Leaders

• AF’s new Enterprise IT Director comes from Declassification Office.

• DCSA names former Sr Acquisition Exec from DIA as its Program EO.

• Accenture Federal names a first-ever Chief AI Officer.

Defense Job Openings

• Defense Commissary Agency is seeking a Deputy Director/COO.

• NASA is seeking a Deputy Assoc. Administrator for Communications.

• DLA is seeking a Business Systems Program Manager.

FUNNY

INTEL COMMUNITY

State Dept. is encouraging workers to use ChatGPT.

The DOS is encouraging its workforce to use generative AI tools, having launched a new internal chatbot to a thousand users this week. “Of our workforce, there are a lot of people who haven’t been playing with ChatGPT,” CIO Kelly Fletcher said. “We’re encouraging them to do so, but they need training.” Beyond the chatbot, the DOS is using AI for other purposes, including declassifying documents. Read more

DIA finance chief pines for AI-driven improvements.

The DIA has been identifying areas within its enterprise that would benefit from automation and AI-enabled improvements, but bringing those ideas to fruition will be a challenge. However, the operating nature of the U.S. intelligence community does not allow for the rapid adoption of innovative technologies, and that slows down the pace of innovation. One area that could benefit from AI improvements and automation at DIA is cybersecurity, which remains largely a manual process for the agency. Read more

ICYMI:

• CIA: What’s the story behind the Berlin Tunnel, America’s “ear behind the Iron Curtain?”

• Alpha Omega appoints a new Sr. VP of National Security Solutions.

• Former VP of CACI has been named Sr. VP of Intelligence Solutions at Two Six Technologies.

• DHS is seeking a Director of Crimes of Exploitation.

• DHS’s USCIS needs a Supervisory Government Information Specialist.

CIVILIAN

How NIH’s National Library of Medicine is testing AI to match patients to clinical trials.

Considered the NIH’s data hub, National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) 200-plus databases and systems serve billions of user sessions every day.) With so many users coming to its sites looking for a variety of information, NLM is always looking for new ways to enhance its products and services. NLM has been harnessing emerging technologies for many years but was quick to see how generative AI and LLMs could potentially make its vast information resources more accessible to improve discovery. Read more

GSA has 150 AI pilots going and is zeroed in on purchasing “best-in-class AI technologies.”

GSA is running 150 AI pilots while using 132 different generative AI tools and technologies. “We’re doing this because it’s GSA’s job to have shared services for the government,” GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said. “And generative AI tools are going to be a giant help in that.” The agency plans to partner closely with industry, she added, and its IT category management office within the Federal Acquisition Service is in the process of developing an acquisition resource guide for generative AI and specialized computing infrastructure. Read more

OMB is looking to scale FedRAMP marketplace, create new authorization paths.

OMB released draft guidance in October to modernize FedRAMP and replace existing policy created for the program when it began in 2011. OMB is currently reviewing over 160 comments on the draft guidance. “[We’re] really looking in particular at how do we make sure we scale the marketplace because right now there are only around 300 different products or service offerings,” OMB’s Laura Gerhardt said. “I think both industry and agencies know there’s so much more we want to use, and there’s so much more we should be using.” Read more

ICYMI:

• FedCIO defense Login security after health agency dropped it from grantee system.

• OPM has new tools to fight improper health insurance enrollments.

• DHA looks to contract a “digital front door” to modernize its health system.

Civilian Contracts Awards

• Innosoft Corp. won a $665K National Endowment for the Arts Application Development Services contract.

• Vachi Info Tech Inc., a WOSB, MOSB, 8(a) won a $4M CDC OCIO Enterprise Data Exchange (DEX) Enterprise FHIR Prof Srvcs contract.

• Chenga Agile Real-Time Solutions won a $25M Web and Mobile Technology Sustainment Support contract.

Follow Civilian Leaders

• Boston Government Services names a new Chief Strategy Officer.

• Edgewater Federal Solution has promoted a new COO.

• Siemens names a new CFO.

Civilian Job Openings

• EPA is seeking a Director, Mission Support Division.

• NPS is looking for a Program Manager - Assoc. Regional Director for Business and Technology.

• EPA is looking for a Deputy Director for Programs, Office of Pesticide Programs.

M&A CORNER

Schneider Electric confirms Bentley Systems talks.

Schneider Electric is in talks with U.S. engineering software producer Bentley Systems over a potential "strategic transaction," it said without elaborating, sending the French company's shares down 2%. Bentley Systems, which has a market value of nearly $16 billion, was reported last week to be exploring options, including a sale after attracting acquisition interest. Read more

SHOWER THOUGHTS 🚿

Happy Earth Day! April 22, 2024.

The federal government has some ideas for you to celebrate today:

• NASA invites you to share a #globalselfie.

• NPS has a whole week of events. This coming Saturday, your kids can become a Junior Ranger for the day, and on Sunday get your art on!

• NOAA has some vintage posters for you to color in.

• National Fisheries has programs, resources, and activities.

• EPA has an “explains” series, like “How to read a pesticide label.”

Why is it so hard to send humans back to the moon?

Between 1969 and 1972, the Apollo missions sent a total of a dozen astronauts to the surface of the moon — and that was before the explosion of modern technology. So why does it seem like our current efforts, as embodied by NASA's Artemis program, are so slow, halting and complex? There isn't one easy answer, but it comes down to money, politics and priorities. Read more

On Tuesday Boston Dynamics retired its famous humanoid robot HD Atlas. What’s next?

As the old Atlas gets a rest, there’s a new Atlas in town. The new Atlas definitely does one thing that HD Atlas couldn't—stand up completely from a prone position. However, the way the robot gets up from the ground has some folks creeped out. Instead of rolling over and pushing itself up with its arms, the new Atlas bends its legs entirely backward, with knee and hip joints rotating nearly all the way around, then it pushes itself up as the rest of its body unfurls. The head turns 180 degrees while the robot walks backwards creepily. Very much “less humanoid.” Read more | Watch video

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