December 18, 2024

House AI task force releases final report, eyes future work with Trump administration; Adele Merritt named CIO of National Institutes of Health

4 minutes

House AI task force members on Tuesday touted the long-awaited release of their report outlining recommendations to Congress on the federal government’s adoption of AI, while confirming that lawmakers are in conversation with the incoming administration about the very same topics. The nearly 300-page report digs into a plethora of areas that the emerging technology touches, including the government’s own use of AI, along with recommendations concerning AI governance and the AI workforce. Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., co-chairman of the task force, said during a press conference Tuesday that legislators and the incoming Trump administration are discussing what could be done to the executive order that the Biden White House released last fall, what items need legislative action and how efforts might be “harmonized” between the legislative and executive branches.

Adele Merritt has been named the top IT official for the National Institutes of Health, giving the agency a permanent chief information officer for the first time in roughly two years. Merritt, who was most recently the CIO of the intelligence community, began her roles as CIO and director of the agency’s Office of the Chief Information Officer on Monday, NIH Director Monica M. Bertagnolli said in a written announcement. According to Bertagnolli, Merritt comes to NIH with more than 20 years experience in cyber and national security operations and has held positions across the government intelligence community.

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