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A directive issued in April from the federal Office of Management and Budget calls on each federal agency to appoint a chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer by early June, according to Becker’s. New officers will be tasked with overseeing AI adoption, ensuring compliance with risk management protocols, and building an AI-ready workforce. In response, the Department of Health and Human Services created its new position of Chief AI Officer and named Peter Bowman-Davis, a Yale undergrad student, to lead the agency’s forward path on AI. Bowman-Davis previously worked as a fellow at Andreessen Horowitz, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. The Food and Drug Administration also announced plans to scale the use of AI for internal tasks such as expanding document integration and tailoring data results to specific needs. In an agency press release, officials say data technologist Jeremy Walsh will lead the efforts in its newly created position of Chief AI Officer. Walsh previously worked for the government contractor Booz Allen Hamilton, according to Politico.
AI across healthcare: Part of the goal of driving AI in federal health agencies is to save time and “reduce the amount of non-productive busywork.” For example, FDA will aim to leverage AI in evaluating drugs, medical devices, and diagnostic tests. But what’s especially telling about the new initiative is the directive that the agencies must develop formal policies for generative AI use by early 2026. Such policies could become the foundational work to support added rigor around AI use across the entire healthcare ecosystem.