Digital Government

Digital IDs are a more convenient, secure, and versatile option than physical IDs, but few Americans currently have one. With the right investments and collaboration between federal and state governments, Americans could realize the full potential of digital IDs.

Following the King’s Speech two weeks ago, which outlined the new government’s legislative agenda, three key issues are likely to dominate UK AI policy discussions: AI legislation, boosting the UK’s AI ecosystem, and unlocking AI-driven productivity in the public sector. Crucially, the thread tying these three issues together is Labour’s desire for economic growth, which the UK technology sector should take as a positive step in the long road to homegrown AI innovation.

Europe's evolving political landscape, marked by recent elections and changing priorities, has significant implications for AI policy. While EU policymakers focus on defense, security, and economic growth, integrating AI could bolster these efforts.

The recent White House-sponsored conference on AI Aspirations earlier this month provided an optimistic vision for how AI could drive progress in various sectors. The breadth of the topics covered at the conference demonstrated the potential for the public sector to address important societal challenges using AI. With growing awareness of the potential benefits of AI, it is time for the federal government to create a national AI adoption strategy to accelerate its deployment.

Rob Atkinson appeared on Embracing Digital Transformation to discuss government technology policy with host Darren Pulsipher, chief solution architect for public sector at Intel.

As the Biden administration seeks to increase the responsible use of AI in the federal government, it will need to find ways to streamline contracting for AI services, especially for startups not familiar with all the red tape associated with government procurement. One step the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) should take is developing voluntary standard terms for AI contracts to make procurement more efficient and expand federal contract access to a diverse and large pool of vendors, ensuring agencies can access the best systems.

The next administration needs to place innovation, productivity, and competitiveness at the core of its economic policy. To that end, this report offers a comprehensive techno-economic agenda with 82 actionable policy recommendations.

Given that more than 19 states are in the process of implementing digital IDs, Oklahoma serves as a cautionary tale on the importance of building accessibility into the system from the beginning.

The U.S. government offers slow, outdated services. Congress and federal agencies should invest in digital technology and modernize their approach to service delivery to transform the current delay government into a modern, fast, digital-first government.

Customer satisfaction with federal services overall remains low. To address this long-standing problem federal agencies should immediately prioritize implementing the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act to modernize their websites and digital services.