CDO Magazine’s Federal Data & AI Mixer in Washington, DC, on December 3 provided a timely forum for federal data executives to reflect on their agencies’ readiness for future AI and advanced analytics. The event featured an expert panel that explored critical issues surrounding AI adoption, with a particular focus on how federal data systems are evolving to meet the demands of cutting-edge technologies like generative AI (GenAI). A key highlight of the event was the preview of initial results from the CDO Magazine “Future of Federal Data: Readiness for AI & Analytics” survey. 

The panel of experts were:

• Dan Morgan, U.S. Department of Transportation Chief Data Officer

• Beth Puchek, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Chief Data Officer

The discussion was moderated by Terry Dorsey, Denodo Sr. Data Architect & Chief Evangelist.

Speaking about the event, Randy Soper, Internal Revenue Service Chief of AI, says: “CDO Magazine does a great job of bringing together thought leaders in active challenge areas and the Federal Data & AI Mixer was no exception. Dan Morgan and Beth Puchek sparkled as speakers with practical advice and technical expertise on hybrid cloud and AI issues that generated dynamic conversation from an intimate group of public sector leaders that I admire.”

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Preliminary findings of the “Future of Federal Data” readiness survey show that only 18% of the participant federal agency data leaders are confident in their current data management systems’ ability to support AI initiatives.

Sharing her thoughts, panelist Puchek, says: “While the survey indicates that a lot of us have low confidence in our data management foundation for GenAI, I think that we’re selling ourselves short. There is a bit of fear and uncertainty about what is good enough, but we have all been working to make our data available, observable, inventoried, tagged, and understood. We are more ready than we think.”

Austin Gerig, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chief Data Officer, notes the highlights of the discussion were on single vs. multi-cloud for data analytics, and a federated vs. centralized approach for data management. Highlighting a central question, Gerig mentions, “Are we multi-cloud and federated because it’s optimal or because we’re stuck with it? If we could start from scratch, what would we choose as an optimal solution and why?”  

Dominique Duval-Diop, U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Chief Data Officer, thanks CDO Magazine for facilitating “an engaging conversation.” She shares notable takeaways:

• Not all data is the right data for GenAI; we’ve got to find the right use cases.

• A lot of our data governance challenges are not technical but relate instead to organizational and cultural change.

• We have a lot more data scientists and analysts than we think we do, but we need folks like data engineers and architects to make sure our data is ready and accessible.

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Camille Prado, CDO Magazine Global Editor, says: “The Federal Data & AI Mixer with key members of the community underscored the critical importance of preparing federal data systems for the transformative potential of AI and analytics. The insights shared during the event are just the beginning. We will be publishing the full findings of the ‘Future of Federal Data: Readiness for AI & Analytics’ survey soon, offering a deeper understanding of where federal data leaders stand today. We encourage everyone to keep an eye out for this comprehensive report.”

Summing up the event, moderator Dorsey says, “It was truly remarkable to witness the passion and dedication of federal agency data leaders, both among the panelists and the audience. Despite many being new to their roles, they demonstrated an impressive understanding of the potential benefits AI and analytics could offer their agencies, particularly with the anticipated ubiquity of AI—especially GenAI.”

According to Dorsey, federal CDOs are highly aware of the challenges and risks tied to emerging technologies. She further emphasizes that data management challenges, including data quality, accessibility, and timely delivery, add further layers of complexity. The stakes are especially high, as missteps can lead to significant legal, financial, and reputational risks. This makes it imperative for CDOs to address these issues effectively to maintain trust and achieve long-term success.

Special thanks to Denodo for making the CDO Magazine Federal Data & AI Mixer such a resounding success.

*Beth Puchek and Randy Soper are members of the CDO Magazine Global Editorial Board.

Executives attending the Washington, DC CDO Magazine Federal Data & AI Mixer included: 

LaShonda Henderson, U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services Branch Chief; Kirsten Dalboe, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chief Data Officer; Dominique Duval-Diop, U.S. Department of Commerce Deputy Chief Data Officer; Brian Erickson, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Deputy Director, DHS Presidential Transition Office, Ren Essene, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Chief Data Officer; Austin Gerig, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chief Data Officer; Ted Kaouk, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chief Data & AI Officer, & Director, Division of Data; Daniel Morgan, U.S. Department of Transportation Assistant Chief Information Officer for Data Services & Chief Data Officer; Beth Puchek, U.S Citizenship & Immigration Services Chief Data Officer; Randy Soper, Internal Revenue Service Chief, Artificial Intelligence; Jiashen You, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Chief Data Officer; Lindsey Saul, US Government Accountability Office Chief Data Officer;  Crystal Barnett, Former U.S. Coast Guard Officer & Program Manager; Fred Baradari, Denodo VP & GM – Federal; Karen Scott, Denodo Director, Marketing, Federal; Terry Dorsey, Denodo Sr. Data Architect & Evangelist North America; Dmitri Adler, CDO Magazine Global Board Member, Investor; Camille Prado, CDO Magazine Global Editor.