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Cost Estimating NewsBrief: January 6, 2023
AFRL to Hold Competition to Develop AI-Based Airlift Planning Software
(Executive Gov) The Air Force Research Laboratory has invited international researchers to join an online competition to develop new planning algorithms for conducting airlift operations. The Airlift Challenge will commence on January 23 and continue through February 27 in a virtual setting to identify algorithms designed to enable on-time deliveries and enhance operational efficiency, AFRL said Wednesday. “A large demand and tight deadlines make airlift operations difficult to plan even under ideal conditions,” said Andre Beckus, a machine learning researcher at AFRL. Read More
What’s Ahead for IoT in 2023?
(IoT For All) The IoT market is expected to grow 18 percent in 2023, reaching more than 14.4 billion active connections. Predictions even estimate that there will be more than 27 billion connected devices by 2025, according to IoT Analytics. With that expected growth and changing market conditions, we expect to see continued innovation in IoT. Drawing from our own experience, insights from Ryan Chacon at IoT for All and Hologram’s VP of Product Caspar Yen, and what we’re hearing from our customers and others in the industry, we’ve pulled together some key IoT trends we expect to see in 2023. Read More
How government can boost AI entrepreneurship
(Federal News Network) Artificial intelligence has become an essential tool in our daily lives and has fundamentally altered the ways in which we communicate and work with one another. In recent years, the federal government has sought to advance AI technology development and adoption through a number of important initiatives, including the National AI Initiative Act, the AI in Government Act, and the National AI Advisory Committee, which advises the president on issues of U.S. competitiveness and enhancing AI opportunities across the country. While these efforts underscore the government’s commitment to AI research and innovation, federal leaders should pay special attention to policies and programs that bolster entrepreneurs. Startups and small businesses develop and introduce new AI-enabled solutions and accelerate the implementation of AI tools across the public and private sectors. Read More
President Biden Signs Bill to Prevent Conflicts of Interest in Federal Contracting
(Executive Gov) President Biden has signed a bill that seeks to identify and eliminate potential conflicts of interest in federal contracting through business relationship disclosure requirements into law. The Preventing Organizational Conflicts of Interest in Federal Acquisition Act mandates that federal contractors disclose existing and future partnerships with companies that may oppose ongoing services they provide the U.S. government, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs said Tuesday. Committee Chairman Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is the lead author of the bill. “This new law will ensure federal contractors are providing transparency about potential conflicts before they are awarded taxpayer dollars,” Peters noted. Read More
How Government is Dealing With Flying Space Junk
(Nextgov) There are more than 5,500 active satellites in orbit as of this spring, a number that is projected to grow to 58,000 by 2030, according to the Government Accountability Office. However, when these satellites are no longer in use and remain in space, this debris can become problematic. Orbital debris, or space junk, “consists of human-made objects orbiting Earth that no longer serve a purpose, including mission-related and fragmentation debris, nonfunctional spacecraft and abandoned rocket stages,” according to NASA. There is a brewing battle between the Federal Communications Commission and NASA about regulating orbital debris, with each agency staking its claim. Read More
An Action Plan for Cyber Resilience
(MIT Sloan Management Review) The NotPetya malware attack of 2017 encrypted the systems and disrupted the operations of global businesses, starting in Ukraine and spreading rapidly to over 60 countries around the world. Global shipping company Maersk, one of the worst hit, ultimately needed to rebuild its entire IT infrastructure. In the nine days it took to get its systems back online, the company struggled to continue operations using manual workarounds that teams came up with on the fly. In the end, the incident cost Maersk nearly $300 million. Read More
Weather Advisory: OPM Summarizes Meaning of Operating Announcements
(FEDweek) “Open: “”[The specified Federal offices at specified locations are] Open.””
Open With Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework: “”[The specified Federal offices at specified locations are] Open and employees have the Option for Unscheduled Leave or Unscheduled Telework.””
Telework Employees Not Scheduled to Telework must report to the office on time or notify their supervisor of their intent to use unscheduled leave or unscheduled telework. Employees who request unscheduled telework must be prepared to telework, take unscheduled leave or other paid time off, or a combination—thereby accounting for the entire workday.” Read More
ICEAA’s NewsBrief is a collection of articles relevant to the cost estimating and analysis community that is delivered weekly to current ICEAA members. To advertise in NewsBrief, contact iceaa@iceaaonline.org.