Summary
The Trump administration’s policy, established through Executive Order 14179, aims to remove barriers to American AI innovation and establish the U.S. as a global leader in AI. This includes revising and reissuing OMB memoranda to ensure efficient acquisition and governance of AI across the federal government.
Source: AI Overview + onAir Curators
OnAir Post: 2025 US AI Policy
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DOD News , Army Maj. Wes Shinego – April 24, 2025
Yesterday, senior Defense Department officials and experts from industry partners and throughout the government gathered in Washington to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, highlighting how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s push for innovation, lethality and readiness is shaping the department’s approach to AI.
The “AI in the New Administration: Agency Priorities” panel brought together Bianca Herlory, the Joint Staff AI lead, Wallace Coggins, the chief data and AI officer from the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and Ann Dunkin, former chief information officer at the Energy Department. Their insights clarified how the Defense Department aims to leverage AI to maintain military superiority and ensure national security.
Herlory emphasized that AI is increasingly central to DOD efforts toward digital modernization. She underscored that as threats evolve, the Joint Staff is integrating AI-driven technologies into daily military operations to enhance commanders’ decision-making and responsiveness.
“AI is not entirely new, but advancements in computing power and big data are transforming how we think about processes — not just acquisition, but our daily operations,” Herlory explained. She noted that early experimentation, practical deployment of AI capabilities, and training and education programs are essential to responsibly integrate AI into military operations.
Earlier in the day, Hegseth set the tone for these efforts during his speech at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he emphasized lethality, accountability and meritocracy over social engineering and bureaucracy. Consistent with this vision, the Defense Department is moving forward with AI implementations aimed at bolstering combat effectiveness and operational efficiency.
Coggins stressed that AI plays a crucial role in safeguarding the military and its industrial base against espionage and data breaches. He said adversaries continually target sensitive technologies, personnel and critical infrastructure.
“Our adversaries are aggressively seeking to undermine our defense industrial base,” Coggins said, highlighting recent efforts at DCSA to consolidate data and leverage AI-driven analytics to protect sensitive information. He described ongoing information technology modernization initiatives designed to break down data silos and create secure, integrated environments where data can be efficiently harnessed for national security.
“We perform about 10,000 background investigations daily,” Coggins said. “AI can greatly streamline this process, making investigators’ efforts more focused and effective by automating routine tasks and quickly aggregating crucial data.”
Ann Dunkin, sharing experiences from her tenure at the Energy Department, reinforced that AI’s value extends beyond immediate operational efficiencies to broader strategic imperatives, including cybersecurity and nonproliferation.
“AI holds great potential to counter threats across all sectors,” Dunkin explained, emphasizing DOE’s past initiatives to deploy AI for protecting America’s critical energy infrastructure from cyberthreats. She noted adversaries’ increased use of AI in sophisticated cyberattacks and argued for an aggressive AI-enabled defense posture.
Her comments align with President Donald J. Trump’s January 2025 executive order, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” which prioritizes accelerating AI adoption without ideological biases or bureaucratic hurdles. The order aims to solidify American dominance in AI innovation to maintain strategic advantages over adversaries.
The panelists also discussed recent guidance from the Office of Management and Budget designed to streamline AI adoption across federal agencies. All panelists agreed that the guidance fosters accelerated innovation while retaining essential safeguards around data security and responsible AI usage.
“The new OMB memos clearly shift from risk aversion toward accelerated, safe adoption,” Coggins said. Herlory added that this guidance aligns well with DOD’s existing strategies, particularly its emphasis on innovation balanced with rigorous safety and ethical standards.
When asked about the future of AI roles within government, all three panelists concurred that AI leadership would likely grow in importance. Dunkin noted that positions such as chief AI officer are rapidly becoming indispensable as the technology integrates deeply into national security and defense operations.
Herlory emphasized that successful AI deployment depends heavily on collaboration across various military and governmental sectors.
“AI initiatives must bring together diverse stakeholders, including policy, acquisition and operational teams,” she said.
Looking forward, each panelist identified promising AI applications relevant to their roles. Dunkin highlighted AI’s transformative potential in achieving American energy dominance, referencing DOE’s prior success using AI-driven processes to rapidly develop new battery technologies. Coggins anticipated significant enhancements in security investigations and mission integration capabilities.
Herlory provided a broader vision, emphasizing AI’s potential to provide military leaders with clearer, more comprehensive situational awareness.
“AI can significantly enhance the Joint Staff’s ability to integrate and analyze global military operations, ultimately enabling better, faster decisions,” she said.
National Conference of State Legislatures – March 22, 2025
State governments across the country are starting to use or examine how AI can be used to improve government services such as enhancing customer service; improving health care facility inspections; and improving roadway safety. Legislators, industry and other stakeholders have engaged in robust discussions regarding the concerns about potential misuse or unintended consequences of AI.
Over the last few years, more and more states have introduced AI-related legislation. In the 2025 legislative session, so far, at least 45 states and Puerto Rico introduced at least 550 AI bills. Last year, Colorado passed the first-in-the nation comprehensive AI regulation focused on consumer protections and safety.
In at least eight states thus far, legislators have introduced similar comprehensive AI regulation bills with a focus on high-risk systems and preventing algorithmic discrimination. Virginia passed the High-Risk AI Developer and Deployer Act recently. Texas introduced the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act which has similar elements to other algorithmic discrimination measures, but the bill also creates a regulatory sandbox for AI testing and includes workforce investments, among other unique elements. Other proposals from states target specific AI uses. For example, at least 19 states have introduced legislation related to setting rental housing prices through algorithms.
White House – April 7, 2025
Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is delivering on President Trump’s decisive Executive Order to remove barriers to American leadership in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by releasing two revised policies on Federal Agency Use of AI and Federal Procurement. These memos were revised at the direction of the Executive Order and in coordination with the Assistant to the President on Science and Technology and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
Under President Trump’s leadership, America is well positioned to maintain our global dominance in AI. To better serve the public, the Federal Government must capitalize on the advantages of American innovation while maintaining strong protections for Americans’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
“President Trump recognizes that AI is a technology that will define the future. This administration is focused on encouraging and promoting American AI innovation and global leadership, which starts with utilizing these emerging technologies within the Federal Government. Today’s revised memos offer much needed guidance on AI adoption and procurement that will remove unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions, allow agencies to be more efficient and cost-effective, and support a competitive American AI marketplace,” said Lynne Parker, Principal Deputy Director of the White House OSTP.
The Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer’s Greg Barbaccia continued, stating that “Federal agencies have experienced a widening gap in adopting AI and modernizing government technology, largely due to unnecessary bureaucracy and outdated procurement processes. OMB’s new policies demonstrate that the government is committed to spending American taxpayer dollars efficiently and responsibly, while increasing public trust through the Federal use of AI.”
Learn more:
OMB Memorandum M-25-21, Accelerating Federal Use of AI through Innovation, Governance, and Public Trust
OMB Memorandum M-25-22, Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence in Government
View the Fact Sheet
Questions? Contact MBX.OMB.Media@OMB.eop.gov
Articles
DOD News , Army Maj. Wes Shinego – April 24, 2025
Yesterday, senior Defense Department officials and experts from industry partners and throughout the government gathered in Washington to discuss the future of artificial intelligence, highlighting how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s push for innovation, lethality and readiness is shaping the department’s approach to AI.
The “AI in the New Administration: Agency Priorities” panel brought together Bianca Herlory, the Joint Staff AI lead, Wallace Coggins, the chief data and AI officer from the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, and Ann Dunkin, former chief information officer at the Energy Department. Their insights clarified how the Defense Department aims to leverage AI to maintain military superiority and ensure national security.
Herlory emphasized that AI is increasingly central to DOD efforts toward digital modernization. She underscored that as threats evolve, the Joint Staff is integrating AI-driven technologies into daily military operations to enhance commanders’ decision-making and responsiveness.
“AI is not entirely new, but advancements in computing power and big data are transforming how we think about processes — not just acquisition, but our daily operations,” Herlory explained. She noted that early experimentation, practical deployment of AI capabilities, and training and education programs are essential to responsibly integrate AI into military operations.
Earlier in the day, Hegseth set the tone for these efforts during his speech at the Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, where he emphasized lethality, accountability and meritocracy over social engineering and bureaucracy. Consistent with this vision, the Defense Department is moving forward with AI implementations aimed at bolstering combat effectiveness and operational efficiency.
Coggins stressed that AI plays a crucial role in safeguarding the military and its industrial base against espionage and data breaches. He said adversaries continually target sensitive technologies, personnel and critical infrastructure.
“Our adversaries are aggressively seeking to undermine our defense industrial base,” Coggins said, highlighting recent efforts at DCSA to consolidate data and leverage AI-driven analytics to protect sensitive information. He described ongoing information technology modernization initiatives designed to break down data silos and create secure, integrated environments where data can be efficiently harnessed for national security.
“We perform about 10,000 background investigations daily,” Coggins said. “AI can greatly streamline this process, making investigators’ efforts more focused and effective by automating routine tasks and quickly aggregating crucial data.”
Ann Dunkin, sharing experiences from her tenure at the Energy Department, reinforced that AI’s value extends beyond immediate operational efficiencies to broader strategic imperatives, including cybersecurity and nonproliferation.
“AI holds great potential to counter threats across all sectors,” Dunkin explained, emphasizing DOE’s past initiatives to deploy AI for protecting America’s critical energy infrastructure from cyberthreats. She noted adversaries’ increased use of AI in sophisticated cyberattacks and argued for an aggressive AI-enabled defense posture.
Her comments align with President Donald J. Trump’s January 2025 executive order, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence,” which prioritizes accelerating AI adoption without ideological biases or bureaucratic hurdles. The order aims to solidify American dominance in AI innovation to maintain strategic advantages over adversaries.
The panelists also discussed recent guidance from the Office of Management and Budget designed to streamline AI adoption across federal agencies. All panelists agreed that the guidance fosters accelerated innovation while retaining essential safeguards around data security and responsible AI usage.
“The new OMB memos clearly shift from risk aversion toward accelerated, safe adoption,” Coggins said. Herlory added that this guidance aligns well with DOD’s existing strategies, particularly its emphasis on innovation balanced with rigorous safety and ethical standards.
When asked about the future of AI roles within government, all three panelists concurred that AI leadership would likely grow in importance. Dunkin noted that positions such as chief AI officer are rapidly becoming indispensable as the technology integrates deeply into national security and defense operations.
Herlory emphasized that successful AI deployment depends heavily on collaboration across various military and governmental sectors.
“AI initiatives must bring together diverse stakeholders, including policy, acquisition and operational teams,” she said.
Looking forward, each panelist identified promising AI applications relevant to their roles. Dunkin highlighted AI’s transformative potential in achieving American energy dominance, referencing DOE’s prior success using AI-driven processes to rapidly develop new battery technologies. Coggins anticipated significant enhancements in security investigations and mission integration capabilities.
Herlory provided a broader vision, emphasizing AI’s potential to provide military leaders with clearer, more comprehensive situational awareness.
“AI can significantly enhance the Joint Staff’s ability to integrate and analyze global military operations, ultimately enabling better, faster decisions,” she said.
White House – April 7, 2025
Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is delivering on President Trump’s decisive Executive Order to remove barriers to American leadership in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by releasing two revised policies on Federal Agency Use of AI and Federal Procurement. These memos were revised at the direction of the Executive Order and in coordination with the Assistant to the President on Science and Technology and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
Under President Trump’s leadership, America is well positioned to maintain our global dominance in AI. To better serve the public, the Federal Government must capitalize on the advantages of American innovation while maintaining strong protections for Americans’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.
“President Trump recognizes that AI is a technology that will define the future. This administration is focused on encouraging and promoting American AI innovation and global leadership, which starts with utilizing these emerging technologies within the Federal Government. Today’s revised memos offer much needed guidance on AI adoption and procurement that will remove unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions, allow agencies to be more efficient and cost-effective, and support a competitive American AI marketplace,” said Lynne Parker, Principal Deputy Director of the White House OSTP.
The Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer’s Greg Barbaccia continued, stating that “Federal agencies have experienced a widening gap in adopting AI and modernizing government technology, largely due to unnecessary bureaucracy and outdated procurement processes. OMB’s new policies demonstrate that the government is committed to spending American taxpayer dollars efficiently and responsibly, while increasing public trust through the Federal use of AI.”
Learn more:
OMB Memorandum M-25-21, Accelerating Federal Use of AI through Innovation, Governance, and Public Trust
OMB Memorandum M-25-22, Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence in Government
View the Fact Sheet
Questions? Contact MBX.OMB.Media@OMB.eop.gov
Information
National Conference of State Legislatures – March 22, 2025
State governments across the country are starting to use or examine how AI can be used to improve government services such as enhancing customer service; improving health care facility inspections; and improving roadway safety. Legislators, industry and other stakeholders have engaged in robust discussions regarding the concerns about potential misuse or unintended consequences of AI.
Over the last few years, more and more states have introduced AI-related legislation. In the 2025 legislative session, so far, at least 45 states and Puerto Rico introduced at least 550 AI bills. Last year, Colorado passed the first-in-the nation comprehensive AI regulation focused on consumer protections and safety.
In at least eight states thus far, legislators have introduced similar comprehensive AI regulation bills with a focus on high-risk systems and preventing algorithmic discrimination. Virginia passed the High-Risk AI Developer and Deployer Act recently. Texas introduced the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act which has similar elements to other algorithmic discrimination measures, but the bill also creates a regulatory sandbox for AI testing and includes workforce investments, among other unique elements. Other proposals from states target specific AI uses. For example, at least 19 states have introduced legislation related to setting rental housing prices through algorithms.
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Key Aspects of 2025 U.S. AI Policy
- Enhancing AI Leadership:The policy aims to sustain and enhance America’s AI dominance, focusing on areas like economic competitiveness and national security.
- Addressing AI Risks:There’s a growing focus on mitigating risks associated with AI, including misinformation, the spread of disinformation, and the potential impact of AI on jobs.
- Federal AI Governance:The White House has issued new guidelines for the use and procurement of AI by federal agencies, emphasizing innovation, governance, and public trust.
- State-Level Initiatives:Many states have implemented AI-related legislation, with some banning the use of AI models on state government devices.
- Export Controls:The U.S. is implementing export controls to restrict the flow of advanced AI technologies to adversarial nations, particularly China.
- AI Action Plan:The Trump administration is developing an AI Action Plan, expected to be completed by July 2025, to further implement the AI policy.
- Focus on “High-Impact” Use Cases:The AI policy memo identifies 15 categories of high-impact AI use cases, including safety-critical functions for critical infrastructure and healthcare diagnoses.
- AI Education and Skills:The White House is also promoting AI education and skills for young people, recognizing the importance of AI in the future workforce.
- Data Privacy and Security:There’s a growing emphasis on protecting consumer health data, enhancing children’s privacy, and addressing the practices of data brokers.
- Executive Order 14179:Signed by President Trump, this order establishes the U.S. policy for sustaining and enhancing America’s AI dominance.
- AI Action Plan:The White House is developing an AI Action Plan to guide the implementation of the AI policy.
- New AI Guidelines:The White House has issued new guidelines for federal agencies on the use and procurement of AI, emphasizing innovation, governance, and public trust.
- Export Controls:The U.S. is implementing export controls to restrict the flow of advanced AI technologies to adversarial nations.
- State-Level Legislation:Many states are enacting AI-related legislation, with some banning the use of AI models on state government devices.
- AI Education and Skills Initiative:The White House is promoting AI education and skills for young people.
- Balancing Innovation and Regulation:The AI policy seeks to foster innovation while also addressing the risks and potential harms associated with AI.
- Maintaining Global Leadership:The U.S. is competing with other nations, particularly China, for AI leadership, requiring a proactive and strategic approach.
- Addressing Ethical Concerns:The AI policy must address ethical concerns, such as bias in AI systems, data privacy, and the potential impact of AI on jobs.
- Ensuring Public Trust:Building public trust in AI is crucial for its successful adoption and deployment.
Source: AI Overview + onAir Curators
