The White House is asking Congress to fund the Technology Modernization Fund after a spending package was announced last month that would remove $100 million from a funding vehicle administered by the General Services Administration.
“Congress, if you can hear me, please fund TMF,” federal CIO Claire Martorana said Tuesday at an event co-sponsored by Venable LLP and Trend Micro. “It brings something really remarkable in our community. There are expert committees across government that have been convened to really look into these proposals.”
Martorana, who also serves as TMF board chair, said there has been a concerted effort to explore ways government agencies can promote high-tech projects. Martorana said the Council of Chief AI Officers is considering plans to accelerate technology deployment within government agencies by up to two years, but there are no concrete reports yet.
Regarding technology initiatives within government agencies, Martorana said establishing governance, managing risk, and continuing to innovate are “the three layers of the AI cake…” The risks are significant, but we don’t know them all yet. We haven’t identified this entire ecosystem yet. ”
In an interview with FedScoop after Tuesday’s event, Martorana said that as the Office of Management and Budget and GSA clarify when high-tech projects will begin across the federal government, Congress also believes TMF is “a great funding tool.” He said he believed that they would recognize it. She noted that the fund will support national cybersecurity efforts and improve the online digital experience for customers.
“Everything we do with technology to improve our service delivery to the public, safely and seamlessly. [and] Stay safe,” she said.
As government agencies continue to deploy new tools, Martorana said in an interview with FedScoop on Thursday that representatives from the CAIO Council are building the computing power and resiliency to run AI. The company said it is focusing on establishing an AI-enabled infrastructure.
“Some people will just use generative AI for a very long time, but it doesn’t require a lot of computing power,” Martorana says. “We have reach across federal agencies.” A “breakthrough” in large agencies can have a ripple effect on smaller agencies, and “the We will give our staff the opportunity to be part of this technology transformation,” she added.
