The General Services Administration (GSA) announced today the launch of its second class of Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) this year, marking its first cohort exclusively focused on artificial intelligence technologies.
The AI-focused cohort supports President Biden’s October 2023 AI executive order, which lists the PIF as a key program to recruit AI talent into government.
The 11 fellows – from top tech companies, startups, and other organizations – will begin a year-long tour of duty at eight Federal agencies. Their projects will include utilizing AI’s potential to increase access to justice, as well as harnessing data and AI to enhance the nation’s electric grid infrastructure.
“All of our fellows are making significant contributions to technology innovation and modernization across government – and this AI-focused cohort will do the same,” GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said in a press release.
“This new class of fellows will focus on values-driven implementation aligned with the executive order on AI so that we can harness the benefits of this new technology, mitigate the risks, and ensure Americans get better service delivery from their government,” she added.
This cohort marks the 12th year of the PIF program, which is housed within GSA’s Technology Transformation Services organization. The program identifies innovation opportunities in government and then matches those with innovation fellows who function as entrepreneurs in residence at government agencies.
This is the second PIF cohort this year. GSA announced the first cohort in March, which included a broader technology focus as opposed to an AI-specific focus.
“We’re excited to welcome a technologist through the PIF program to advance DOE’s transformative work at the intersection of AI and energy,” said Helena Fu, the director of the Department of Energy’s Office of Critical and Emerging Technologies. “The fellow will help propel our VoltAIc Initiative – building AI-powered tools to streamline siting and permitting to help accelerate deployment of clean energy infrastructure.”
“We look forward to welcoming the amazing expertise and innovative ideas the PIFs will bring on how to maximize the potential benefits of AI while mitigating the potential risks,” added Dominic Mancini, the deputy administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget. “The collaboration between these fellows and the agencies where they will serve exemplifies the society-wide effort that responsible use of AI demands.”
The new fellows and their agencies are:
- Maria Botchkova, Department of Justice
- John Cronin, Department of Defense
- Brian Karfunkel, Department of Justice
- Nandini Nayak, Federal Housing Finance Agency
- Anjali Patel, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- James Pavur, Department of State
- Pranava Raparla, Department of Energy
- Scott Riffle, Department of Defense
- Arushi Saxena, Office of Management and Budget
- Matthew R. Versaggi, Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- Rebecca N. White, Department of Justice
