The Daily Scoop Podcast

Daily Scoop listeners are going to be very familiar with the body of work of this episode’s guest. She’s a former deputy federal CIO, CIO of the Small Business Administration and CTO of the Transportation Department, among the many other roles she held during her vast career in federal IT before retiring in 2022. I’m of course speaking of the one and only Maria Roat. Now serving in several board roles, Roat is still fairly active advising in the federal IT space. In our conversation, we discuss what she’s focused on since departing federal service, how she sees the government going about adoption of artificial intelligence, how agency IT leaders must be thoughtful in balancing AI, security and user experience, and much, much more. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

We’re back with part two of a two-part interview with Egon Rinderer, chief technologist for Shift 5 and a former operator for the U.S. Navy. In part one we discussed a new round of bonuses the Air Force authorized worth up to $600,000 to retain existing manned aircraft and drone pilots, combat systems operators and air battle managers — and how the challenges the service is facing in keeping airmen on board go beyond money. For the second half of our conversation, we get deeper into the role tech plays in the U.S. military’s shifting competitive landscape to focus on great power competitors and the new threats services face like GPS spoofing and small-scale drones. Let’s pick up the conversation where the first episode left off. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

The Air Force in December approved a new round of bonuses worth up to $600,000 that are designed to retain existing manned aircraft and drone pilots, combat systems operators and air battle managers. The move showcases the challenges the service is facing in keeping airmen on board. But according to my guest, despite the major financial incentive, that may not be enough. Egon Rinderer, chief technologist for Shift 5 and a former operator for the U.S. Navy, joins me to discuss the Air Force’s retention challenge and how the tech airmen work with everyday plays into that. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Explore the latest in federal zero trust adoption with insights from CISA's Sean Connelly. Learn about the evolution of Trusted Internet Connections program, the importance of IT modernization for cybersecurity outcomes, and the challenges agencies face. Discover the transition from Tick 2 to Tick 3 for enhanced security, the shift to cloud solutions, and the impact of the Technology Modernization Fund in agency modernization.

Last week, Scoop News Group partnered with Google Public Sector to host the Google Defense Forum. The tremendous lineup of defense officials representing the Pentagon, a variety of military services and other defense agencies kicked off with a fireside chat between myself and retired four-star Gen. Dave Goldfein, who served as the chief of staff of the Department of the Air Force. Now the chairman of the board for Google Public Sector, Goldfein shared during our conversation why he decided to join Google, how the defense technology landscape is changing and the technologies he’s most excited about transforming the Department of Defense. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Over the past year, FedScoop has led coverage of the flurry of AI developments coming out of the federal government and the supprounding legislative and commercial space. In particular, the team’s reporters have kept a close watch on how agencies are adopting AI technologies in a responsible and transparent manner Joining the podcast to discuss that and more are FedScoop reporters Madison Alder and Rebecca Heilweil.

The federal government has made large strides in setting guardrails for AI development, adoption and use in recent months, driven by the Biden administration’s executive order on AI. Despite the momentum and buzz that’s engulfed the AI adoption landscape, the federal government and agencies must be measured and responsible in their approach to leveraging AI. That’s according to MK Palmore, director of the Office of the CISO for Google Cloud. In a recent conversation, Palmore discussed the need for more rigorous testing and standards for AI, the intersection of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, and how important it is to ensure diversity is a part of the larger conversation. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

Following the issuance of the Biden administration’s executive order on AI, OMB guidance has called for all federal CFO Act agencies to appoint chief AI officers to coordinate their agency’s use of AI, promote AI innovation and manage AI risks, while also serving as vice chairs of their agency’s AI governance boards. GSA was one of the first agencies to name a CAIO, giving its chief data officer Zach Whitman a dual hat as its AI officer. Whitman, also a former CDO for the Census Bureau, spoke with FedScoop’s Madison Alder and Rebecca Heilweil about the new role, how he’s managing both jobs, what he hopes to get done as GSA’s first chief AI officer, and much more. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

The U.S. national security apparatus in 2021 signed on to a trilateral partnership with the United Kingdom and Australia that has come to be known as AUKUS. The partnership, as the Pentagon explains, is intended to strengthen the ability of each government to support security and defense interests, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, building on longstanding and ongoing bilateral ties. And it will promote deeper information sharing and technology sharing; and foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains. Back in December, a group led by private sector defense innovation firm BMNT launched the AUKUS Defense Investors Network — a network of leading private capital investors from 300+ institutional venture capital firms, corporate venture capital (CVC) groups and family offices from the three nations. d military capabilities in cyber, AI, quantum, undersea capabilities, hypersonics, counter-hypersonics, EW and information sharing – areas where private sector investment can accelerate government investment in developing solutions to critical security challenges. Heather Jo Richman is the founder and co-chair of the AUKUS DIN. For much of her career, Richman has served in roles serving alongside the U.S. DOD and the Intelligence Community to create ecosystems of innovators and investors to engage in national security-focused problem solving on all levels. I recently spoke with Heather from her home in the Silicon Valley area in California to learn more about the new AUKUS DIN. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify.

The podcast discusses the State Department's efforts to modernize technology, focusing on topics like implementing zero trust and AI. They also highlight challenges of technology debt and network architecture limitations. The agency's priorities include cybersecurity compliance and user experience. They emphasize the influence of AI on security resilience and the importance of using it ethically. The episode also covers the State Department's AI strategy and inventory, with a focus on cybersecurity and report formatting assistance.