b'Forum: Evolving Use of Artificial Intelligence in Government you are from HR, IT, or the business side. Theres a general data literacy that we will have to have. Yet training for new job skills has not been available to the degree many federal employees would like.Recommendations. As artificial intelligence becomes more ubiquitous in federal workplaces, the federal government should emphasize expertise in technical, digital, and data skills.The Office of Management and Budget and Congress should provide sufficient funding for AI and related technical training. Federal employees will need extensive and ongoing training in technology, digital skills, and data AI Puts Technical and Data Skills Front and Center analysis to succeed in an AI workplace.Federal employees in the future will need new skills toThe Office of Personnel Management should consider succeed in a world with AI. Creating, understanding,establishing an AI occupational series in line with the managing, and working with AI requires technical, digital,proposed AI in Government Act of 2018, which directs and data literacy that much of the workforce currently lacks. OPM to create a new occupational series or change an existing one to focus on AI-related tasks. Employees in With less need for human beings to do clerical work, librarythis AI job series would have the primary responsibility for technicians could use more of their day writing information- managing AI in government.cataloguing software. Environmental scientists might spendOMB should work with the General Services more time evaluating sample data that machines compileAdministration to establish a team for AI talent similar for them, instead of on the initial steps of transferring andto the U.S. Digital Service, an information technology compiling the data. Claims specialists could use theirtalent and consulting group in government. This AI team statistical skills to discern why an AI system recommendsshould be governed by rules that make it easy to hire top approving or denying customers applications for governmentAI talent from the private sector for time-limited stints in services, rather than on transcribing paperwork. government, helping federal agencies that need expertise Understanding AI means comprehending probability theory,for AI projects.the branch of mathematics that measures the likelihood of events occurring. AI arrives at its conclusions based on theConclusionprobability of a picture showing a cat rather than dog, forThe federal government, one of the worlds largest employers, example, or a person saying, real eyes rather than realize. is bound to face disruption from AI. As leaders incorporate the technology into their agencies, they will have to oversee Additionally, employees will need to understand the dataemployees who will face myriad changes in their work lives. AI uses, how AI algorithms work with the data, and howAt the same time, federal employees will play a crucial role for to interpret the results of AIs data analysis. Their work willother sectors adopting AI, whether by writing regulations on entail evaluating the quality of data going into the systemself-driving cars or ensuring malicious actors are not exploiting to determine if bias exists and whether AIs predictions orAI-powered algorithms. This essential role underscores the recommendations can be trusted. need for government to become a responsible user and customer of the technology, address ethics and transparency Employees would need analytical skills to recognize thein AI implementation, and translate its experience with AI potential bias in job application data, deduce the cause,into guidance for other sectors. Every part of our government, and fix the problem. Federal employees also must be able tofrom federal agencies to the White House to Congress, plays assess whether AI presented the right conclusion, and explaina role in ensuring this transition to an AI-augmented federal how AI arrived at its conclusion, whether its to a grantworkplace is as smooth as possible and that federal employees applicant whose request was denied or to a congressionalhave the skills to thrive.committee with questions about the process. Everybody will be a bit of a data scientist in the future. It doesnt matter if WINTER 2019 / 2020 IBM Center for The Business of Government 61'