US State Department Seeks Customizable GenAI Models

The U.S. Department of State (DoS) is exploring third-party generative AI (GenAI) models that can be tailored for its needs and utilized with a range of government data, according to a recent agency disclosure.

The notice stipulates that the LLM must comply with the Defense Department’s Impact Level 6 standards and have at least a moderate-level FedRAMP authorization for commercial software.

The agency seeks a platform capable of supporting various AI-enhanced workflows and securely processing and analyzing government data across different classification levels.

“The solution must provide leading edge capability in large language model (LLM) development to support a range of AI-enhanced workflows able to securely process and analyze government data of various classification levels, meeting federal security requirements such as accreditation at DoD Impact Level 6 (IL6) and having a moderate level or higher FedRamp-authorization for commercial software solution,” the document reads.

Earlier this year, the department secured two allocations from the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to strengthen its IT systems for safeguarding sensitive data and integrating GenAI capabilities to empower DOS’ global workforce.

With the infusion of $18.2 million from TMF, DOS endeavors to leverage safe, secure, and responsible GenAI to empower its widely distributed workforce, fostering enhanced efficiency and facilitating improved access to information resources.