The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is putting artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity at the center of its oversight priorities for the next five years, while also planning to expand its own use of emerging technologies to improve government accountability and support Congress.
In its new strategic plan for fiscal years (FY) 2027 through 2032, released on Oct. 16, GAO outlined three overarching goals focused on evaluating federal programs, improving government performance, and strengthening the watchdog’s internal capabilities. The plan emphasizes reviewing federal AI policies, cybersecurity protections, technology acquisition, and emerging technology adoption.
“We begin this planning period amid rapid changes in government and society: advances in emerging technology, including artificial intelligence, mounting financial pressures, a shifting national and global security environment, and intensifying cybersecurity threats,” acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown wrote in the plan.
“We must be agile as congressional needs and priorities rapidly change and federal agencies reimagine how they carry out their missions using emerging technology,” Brown added.
Under its technology oversight objectives, GAO plans to assess federal cybersecurity efforts, including protecting government systems, securing critical infrastructure, safeguarding sensitive data, and establishing a national cybersecurity strategy.
The watchdog also intends to evaluate federal AI deployment and oversight, including associated risks, international competitiveness, and the effectiveness of AI policy and regulatory frameworks.
GAO will also review federal IT acquisition, management, and strategic planning practices, with a focus on agency technology portfolios, emerging technology adoption, software development practices, and technical workforce capacity.
On the national security front, the agency plans to examine risks associated with adversarial AI use, autonomous systems, and AI-enabled decision-making.
Beyond its oversight responsibilities, GAO plans to leverage emerging technologies to modernize its own operations. The agency aims to expand enterprise-wide adoption of AI and data analytics, use its Innovation Lab to securely test tools that improve audit and business processes, and utilize cloud technologies.
The plan also identifies technology workforce development as a priority, including streamlining hiring, “particularly for technical and specialty areas such as data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.”
GAO intends to expand training opportunities to strengthen employees’ analytical, cybersecurity, and AI skills.
GAO said it will track progress toward its strategic goals annually through its Performance and Accountability Report. The agency reported that its work generated $62.5 billion in financial benefits during FY 2026, and its new plan aims to build on those results.