On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, former Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Director Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan (USAF, Ret.) joins to discuss a turning point for artificial intelligence in government. With the General Services Administration striking deals to make AI tools available across agencies for as little as $1, Shanahan breaks down what these agreements mean for federal users, the defense community, and the broader industrial base.

From experimental pilots to life-or-death missions, Shanahan stresses the importance of rapid experimentation, rigorous testing, and government-led evaluation before AI is integrated into critical operations. He also explores the challenges smaller tech companies face against the dominant players in the frontier AI model space, and the risks of government lock-in as introductory pricing gives way to long-term contracts.

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