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Cost Estimating NewsBrief: September 22, 2023
White House official tees up AI executive order
(NextGov/FCW) A senior White House security official previewed the Biden administration’s forthcoming efforts to apply regulations and oversight to emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, including a pending executive order and more international partnerships. Speaking during the Chamber of Commerce’s GlobalAI discussion Wednesday morning, Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger discussed the “promise and peril” of rapidly-evolving AI systems, and how federal officials are attempting to thread the needle between innovation and mitigation. Read More
Using generative AI to drive citizen engagement and empower the workforce
(FedScroop) Government agencies are demonstrating the power of generative artificial intelligence to improve communications and mission outcomes with citizens and employees, Google Public Sector CEO Karen Dahut said during an on-stage interview at FedScoop’s FedTalks in Washington, D.C. Dahut acknowledged that there are still a lot of questions government leaders are asking about how to properly implement the technology across the government space. Among them, she said, is how to implement AI capabilities into mission activities while protecting agency data. Read More
Army’s Enterprise & Data Divisions Team Up for Unified Information Architecture
(Executive Gov) The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Enterprise Information Systems is collaborating with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army to move forward with the transition of the branch’s enterprise data architecture from fabric to mesh framework. PEO EIS and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Data, Engineering and Software are laying the foundations of the Unified Data Reference Architecture, which is expected to improve the management of massive amounts of information at the service branch. The data mesh will provide a decentralized platform allowing teams across the Army to take control, ownership and responsibility of their respective data products. Read More
This nuclear agency is making a lot of underground investment
(Federal News Network) The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has a difficult mission. It must constantly assess the condition of the nation’s nuclear warheads. Explosive testing has been banned under international treaties for decades. It’s been spending billions on new instruments deep underground. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has found that the NNSA needs to tighten up its program management. For more, Federal Drive with Tom Temin spoke with the GAO’s Director of Natural Resources and Environment, Allison Bawden. Read More
What does post-pandemic telework look like during a shutdown?
(NextGov/FCW) The fall tradition of federal agencies gearing up their shutdown contingency plans is upon us, as Congress works to avert a budget impasse that could transpire in two weeks. While the preparation for government shutdown is not new, it hasn’t transpired in the post-pandemic era of telework, where federal employees continue to work remotely and sometimes distributed from their agencies. “I think it’s a huge open question for both those personnel who do have to work and for those who are, in fact, not permitted to work,” said David Berteau, Professional Services Council president and CEO, on a Tuesday media call. Read More
Microsoft leak reveals cost estimates of bringing big releases to Game Pass
(Axios) Major video game publishers may want $100 million to $300 million to put their games on Game Pass on the day they also go on sale, according to leaked internal estimates by Microsoft. Why it matters: The economics around Game Pass, Microsoft’s popular all-you-can-play gaming service with 25 million subscribers, have been lacking in hard figures. But an unprecedented leak of the company’s Xbox plans reveals some of the math involved. State of play: In a May 16 email, Xbox corporate vice president Sarah Bond broke down 18 possible third-party games to pursue for Game Pass, noting the expected cost for getting them. Read More
Want to experience the 2024 total solar eclipse? Here are some tips.
(The Planetary Society) On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross Mexico, the United States, and Canada. For those in the path of the Moon’s shadow — known as the path of totality — the sky will darken for a few minutes, revealing the Sun’s corona and creating a scene like nothing else in nature. If you have the means to reach the path of totality on April 8, we highly recommend it. Locations even a smidge outside the path will only experience a partial solar eclipse and miss out on seeing a wide range of possible phenomena. 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.