The CAIOs Leading Responsible AI Development Across Government

Federal agencies are appointing new chief artificial intelligence officers as part of the collective movement to meet directives set forth from the White House’s AI executive order that tasked agencies with a series of responsibilities connected to the emerging technology.

Although artificial intelligence development in the federal government is not new, this marks the first time federal agencies are all mandated to appoint a designated CAIO, whose responsibilities include “coordinating their agency’s use of AI, promoting AI innovation, [and] managing risks from the use of AI,” according to OMB guidance on AI governance.

Some agencies, like the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs, have had AI chiefs in place already comprising various forms of the CAIO title.

Here are some of the most prominent leaders at the agency level in charge of AI.

Agriculture Department

USDA Chief Data and AI Officer Chris Alvares is responsible for “developing strategies that enable USDA to fully leverage its data as a strategic asset, improving organizational decision-making and outcomes for citizens.”

Alvares began his career working for private-sector biotech companies before becoming director of a data analytics team that provided genomic analytics services to other biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients.

Alvares joined USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in 2008 as a data analyst, where he built the analytics office from five to more than 20 staff members. Alvares became deputy CDO in 2019 where he has been working to modernize data analytics within USDA.

Commerce Department

Ryan Higgins became the Commerce Department’s CAIO Jan. 1. Higgins also serves as the department’s acting CIO.

Previously, Higgins served as Commerce’s CISO and deputy CIO, helping to establish policies and processes, developing DOC compliance with the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA) of 2014 and coordinating cyber incident response.

Prior to joining Commerce, Higgins held a variety of roles within the U.S. Trustee Program, Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security.

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Lisa Einstein became CAIO of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in August 2024. Before becoming the agency’s first ever CAIO, Einstein served as CISA’s senior advisor for AI and the executive director of the agency’s Cybersecurity Advisory Committee.

“AI tools could accelerate our progress. But we will only reap their benefits and avoid harms from their misapplication or abuse if we all work together to prioritize safety, security and trustworthiness in the development and deployment of AI tools,” Einstein said in a press release when she was announced.

Defense Department

Radha Plumb became DOD’s chief digital and AI officer in April 2024. Plumb previously served as the deputy undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment before taking over the AI chief role from Craig Martell, who was the first person to hold the title.

Plumb joined DOD in 2021, but served in many other government agencies and positions, including the White House and Energy Department. Additionally, she worked in the private sector for the RAND corporation, Facebook and Google.

Education Department

Vijay Sharma is Education’s CAIO. Sharma has served as the department’s CTO since 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile. Sharma’s federal government tenure began in 2010, when he served in the Enterprise Services Implementation Division at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Energy Department

Helena Fu serves as CAIO for Energy and director of the department’s newly created Office of Critical and Emerging Technology. Fu will “coordinate the department’s use of AI, manage risks from its use, and promote innovation,” according to a December 2023 agency press release.

Fu has had an extensive career in federal government, including director for technology and national security at the White House National Security Council, director of international science and technology cooperation and trusted research for the Office of Science at DOE, and at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

The EEOC selected Sivaram Ghorakavi as its Deputy Chief Information Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer in June 2024. In his role, Ghorakavi is tasked with leading “agency innovations in technology and implement technology-focused partnerships that will benefit the EEOC’s mission and strategic goals,” according to an agency press release.

Ghorakavi spent the past 15 years working in Federal IT. He previously worked with the National Labor and Relations Board as chief architect and chief data strategist and as an information technology portfolio manager at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Department of Health and Human Services

National Coordinator for Health IT Micky Tripathi has been appointed the secondary role of acting CAIO. The AI role at HHS is not new — it was first first held by Oki Mek and most recently Greg Singleton since 2022.

Tripathi already serves as co-chair of the HHS AI Task Force and will continue in his role as National Coordinator for Health IT during the search for a permanent CAIO, a spokesperson told GovCIO Media & Research.

Department of Homeland Security

Eric Hysen serves the dual roles of CIO and CAIO for DHS. Hysen was sworn in to the former in 2021 and was named the latter in 2023.

Hysen oversees the agency’s acquisition and use of AI, facial recognition applications and promotion of AI innovation and safety within the agency. Hysen’s prior experience includes serving on the Biden-Harris transition team’s Technology Strategy and Delivery team and a stint in California’s state government as a special consultant for the Office of Digital Innovation.

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Vinay Singh is HUD’s CFO and CAIO. Singh joined the department in 2022 as CFO after serving as the senior advisor to the administrator at the Small Business Administration. Singh leads the agency’s efforts to use safe and trustworthy AI and promotes innovation and risk management within the department.

Justice Department

Jonathan Mayer was appointed as the Justice Department’s first chief science and technology advisor and CAIO in February.

Mayer’s role includes advising DOJ leadership on issues like cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Mayer also advises recruiting for technical talent to meet the agency’s hiring goals.

As CAIO, Mayer is tasked with working on “intra-departmental and cross-agency efforts on AI and adjacent issues.” Mayer also leads the Justice Department’s Emerging Technology Board, which oversees AI and other emerging technologies within the department.

Mayer’s previous experience includes Princeton University, where he served as an assistant professor. His research has focused on the intersection of technology, policy and law with an emphasis in criminal procedure, national security and consumer protection.

Labor Department

Mangala Kuppa stepped into the role of CAIO for the Labor Department in June of this year, taking over from Louis Charlier. Kuppa previously served as the agency’s deputy CAIO prior to moving into the lead role.

Kuppa first came to the agency in 2020 after spending more than a decade at the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Within the labor department, she has served as the director of case management and director of business application services.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

America’s premier space agency tapped David Salvagnini as its first CAIO in May 2024. Salvagnini stepped into the role already serving as NASA’s chief data officer.

Prior to joining NASA, Salvagnini served in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as director of the architecture and integration group and chief architect and within the Air Force for 21 years. Salvagnini is charged with oversight of NASA’s AI tools, which support missions, autonomous spacecraft and aircraft and research projects across the agency.

National Science Foundation

NSF CDO and previous CIO Dorothy Aronson now serves as the agency’s CAIO. Aronson is in charge of “spearheading strategic initiatives, overseeing AI implementations, and driving innovation,” according to an agency spokesperson.

Aronson had been CIO since 2017. She stepped down from the role and served as the agency’s CDO and principal advisor as part of a larger NSF restructuring to create the Office of Business Information Technology Services, which is led by CIO and CTO Terry Carpenter.

Social Security Administration

SSA named Brian Peltier acting CAIO. Peltier already serves as SSA’s chief architect and responsible AI official and has been at the agency for almost 20 years.

State Department

Matthew Graviss serves as the department’s CAIO, where he is “responsible for making data accessible, interoperable and actionable across the Department of State.” Graviss previously served as a director at both the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) before serving as CDO at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Treasury Department

Todd Conklin assumed CAIO and deputy assistant secretary of cyber at the agency in January. He has served at the agency in various roles over the past 16 years, most recently as deputy assistant secretary for the agency’s Office of Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection.

The agency has prioritized addressing AI security risks in the financial sector and has outlined a plan that includes leveraging AI’s risk management framework, supply chain mapping and recruiting an AI-capable workforce.

General Services Administration

Zach Whitman, who joined GSA in July 2023 as the agency’s chief data scientist, assumed the CAIO role in November 2023. Whitman was previously CDO at the Census Bureau for seven years and worked in the private sector before his time at Census.

Department of Veterans Affairs

Charles Worthington serves a dual hat role as CAIO and CTO at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Worthington was first reported as the CAIO in February 2024, and has been CTO since joining the agency in 2017. He briefed the House of Representatives on the department’s plans to integrate AI into its operations in early 2024.

Additionally, Gil Alterovitz serves as CAIO of the Veterans Health Administration and the inaugural director of the National Artificial Intelligence Institute (NAII). He was one of the major players behind the White House’s Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights that preceded the AI executive order.

Alterovitz has been at the agency for nearly five years. In that time, he has worked with more than 20 VA offices to create the agency’s first AI strategy.

His work with NAII centers around building AI research and development to improve veteran care and services. Alterovitz was also one of the key authors of the White House Office of Science Technology and Policy’s National AI R&D Strategic Plan in 2019.

June 11, 2024 — This article has been updated since initial publication to reflect the latest leadership appointments.