Technology

Breakthrough Technologies Offer Enormous Opportunity for Federal Leaders—If They Seize It

What Silicon Valley calls “exponential technologies” could transform agency operations and boost national security.

  • Dee Dee Helfenstein and Meroe Park

U.S. Army Making Synthetic Biology a Priority

New thermal cloaking, insect proof uniforms are on the horizon, if the U.S. can get out in front of China.

  • Patrick Tucker, Defense One

OPM Announces New ‘Data Scientist’ Job Title

Officials hope that an "unofficial" data science marker for federal jobs could help both with recruitment of new federal workers as well as improve evidence-based policymaking and data management efforts.

  • Erich Wagner

Lawmaker: Human Problem at Pentagon Worse than Tech Problem

Rep. Jim Cooper says Congress shouldn’t accept a government topped by acting political appointees.

  • Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One

Researchers Show How to Send Fake Presidential Alerts To Your Phone

Your phone’s thirst for a better signal leaves it open to bogus messages, new research shows.

  • Patrick Tucker, Defense One

The New Hunt for Moon Money

The Trump administration has asked Congress for more funding to meet a very ambitious deadline.

  • Marina Koren, The Atlantic

DATA Act Collection Effort Worked Better for Grants Than Contracts

Watchdog found documentation gaps in pilot plan for creating central portal.

  • Charles S. Clark

As Governments Adopt Artificial Intelligence, There’s Little Oversight And Lots Of Danger

AI can help make government more efficient – but at what cost? Citizens' lives could be better or worse, based on how the technology is used

  • James Hendler, The Conversation

The Pentagon Is Killing a Key Independent-Research Program

For decades, JASON studies helped DOD and other agencies get outside perspectives on scientific and technical topics.

  • Patrick Tucker, Defense One

What Spy-Satellite Companies Can Teach NASA About Climate Change

The space agency is exploring what three Earth-observation start-ups can teach it about the planet.

  • Robinson Meyer, The Atlantic

The FAA Rigorously Tested the Boeing 737’s Software

So how did a problem slip through?

  • Alexis Madrigal, The Atlantic

U.S. Takes Tentative Steps Toward Opening Up Government Data

A new act requires that all nonsensitive government data be made available publicly by January 2020. But the plan could open up new privacy issues.

  • Anjanette Raymond, Beth Cate and Scott Shackelford, The Conversation

Trump To Feds: Prioritize Artificial Intelligence Work

A sweeping executive order to be signed Monday will push agencies to boost funding, improve training, and propose regulations for AI-related efforts.

  • Patrick Tucker, Defense One
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Future of the Army

The U.S. Military Is Chopping Up Its Iron Man Suit For Parts

Special Operations Command’s much-anticipated super suit won’t be here for Christmas.

  • Patrick Tucker, Defense One

The Spyware That Brought Down El Chapo’s Drug Empire

For months, the FBI listened as Mexico’s infamous drug kingpin allegedly trafficked drugs and arranged assassinations. Here’s how.

  • Sidney Fussell, The Atlantic

The Government’s Bioterror-Response Website May Be Leaking Sensitive Data

DHS inspectors and a whistleblower say the site, which would be used to coordinate federal responses to a bioterror attack, isn’t secure.

  • Patrick Tucker, Defense One