Latest news with #ThomasShedd
India Today
12-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
Microsoft is making a special AI Copilot for the US military
Microsoft is developing a special version of its Copilot AI assistant tailored for the US military, with availability expected by summer 2025. In a blog post written for its government customers, Microsoft confirmed that Copilot for the Department of Defense (DoD) is currently under development. 'For DoD environments, Microsoft 365 Copilot is expected to become available no earlier than summer 2025,' the company wrote. 'Work is ongoing to ensure the offering meets the necessary security and compliance standards.'advertisementCopilot is Microsoft's primary generative AI platform and is already integrated into tools like Word, PowerPoint and Excel for general users. A military-grade version, however, requires stronger safeguards and has to meet stringent compliance rules set for high-security also stated in a March update that it is working to bring Copilot to GCC High, its cloud platform for US government clients. 'We are planning on a general availability (GA) release this calendar year,' the company said. Microsoft's Chief Commercial Officer Judson Althoff reportedly also told employees recently that a customer with more than one million Microsoft 365 licenses is adopting Copilot. While the customer was not named, the Defence Department, with over 2.8 million military and civilian employees, fits the development of a defence-specific Copilot underscores how AI is becoming a vital part of US government infrastructure. On July 4, the General Services Administration (GSA) is expected to launch – a platform designed to help US government agencies access powerful AI tools from companies like OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and eventually Amazon Web Services and to a report by 404 Media, the project includes a chatbot assistant, a model-agnostic API, and a console to monitor AI usage across federal departments. 'We want to start implementing more AI at the agency level and be an example for how other agencies can start leveraging AI,' Thomas Shedd, head of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services, reportedly told his of the more innovative features is the use of analytics to track how government teams are using AI. This data could help highlight success stories and identify areas where more training is growing focus on AI in defence isn't limited to Microsoft and the GSA. AI company Anthropic recently announced its own line of custom AI models for the US government, branded 'Claude Gov'. These tools are already in use by top national security agencies and are designed to assist with tasks like intelligence analysis, cybersecurity, and threat detection. 'Access to these models is limited to those who operate in classified environments,' Anthropic stated. The Claude Gov models are built with enhanced capabilities, including the ability to handle sensitive data and understand defence-specific language and Meta is also deepening its ties with the defence sector. The Mark Zuckerberg-owned company is partnering with Anduril, a defence startup founded by Oculus creator Palmer Luckey, to develop virtual and augmented reality headsets for US service members. 'We're proud to partner with Anduril to help bring these technologies to the American service members that protect our interests at home and abroad,' said Meta CEO Mark Watch
India Today
11-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
The US government is building its own AI chatbot with help from a former Tesla engineer
The United States government is preparing to launch its own AI chatbot and integration platform on July 4 under the name according to a report by 404 Media, which found a related code posted on GitHub. The initiative, which aims to 'accelerate government innovation with AI,' is being developed by the General Services Administration's Technology Transformation Services (TTS), headed by Thomas Shedd, a former Tesla engineer. The project includes a website, a chatbot, and an application programming interface (API) that will allow government agencies to tap into AI models developed by OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and eventually Amazon Web Services' Bedrock and Meta's LLaMA, according to code and early website drafts uncovered by 404 early version of the homepage, which currently redirects to reportedly advertises: 'Three powerful AI tools. One integrated platform.' These include the AI assistant chatbot, a model-agnostic API, and a console to monitor how government teams are using AI. The system will also feature analytics showing usage levels across various Shedd has been at the forefront of the US government's growing interest in artificial intelligence. According to leaked internal meetings and previous public remarks reported by 404 Media and Wired, Shedd wants to 'AI-ify' large parts of federal operations. 'We want to start implementing more AI at the agency level and be an example for how other agencies can start leveraging AI,' Shedd reportedly told his team. He added that tools like AI coding agents – which would write software for federal use – and contract analysis systems are among the first products in development. The broader goal, according to Shedd, is to build centralised AI solutions that federal agencies will eventually be expected to platform appears to be a continuation of ideas proposed under the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a short-lived government initiative that was led by Elon Musk recently distanced himself from the Trump administration following a falling out, the influence of DOGE is still evident in current federal tech projects. During its existence, DOGE aimed to reduce bureaucracy and costs by replacing some federal roles with AI-driven it will workWhile the exact functionality of the AI chatbot has not yet been detailed, the underlying API will allow agencies to access a range of AI models and services through a single platform. According to GitHub documentation, integration is being tested on and the platform is still in a staging environment as of early analytics console, also part of the package, will reportedly give visibility into AI usage at each agency. This could potentially help identify which teams are adopting AI effectively, and which may require additional support or training. According to the report, the early version of the platform does not appear to use generic placeholder text, suggesting development is well underway and being tailored for specific government use cases. Tune In
Gizmodo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Gizmodo
The Trump Administration Is Launching an AI Chatbot
No word on whether it'll speak like Trump. Chatbots are notoriously sources of misinformation and false confidence, so surely imbuing one with the authority of the federal government won't cause any problems, right? 404 Media spotted a GitHub repository that shows the Trump administration is working on its very own chatbot that appears set to eventually launch on its own website, According to 404 Media's findings, appears to be the work of the US General Services Administration's Technology Transformation Services, which is curently being run by Thomas Shedd. He's a former Tesla engineer who was identified by the New York Times as an ally of Elon Musk, who was appointed to the role of director of GSA's tech arm. In audio of a leaked meeting published by 404 Media, Shedd can be heard pushing for AI integration across the government. While currently redirects to the White House's landing page, a version of the site that 404 Media uncovered reveals some details about the project, including the mission to 'Accelerate government innovation with AI.' The project appears to include a chatbot, though details are vague on what exactly that bot will be able to do. It also shows plans to launch an API that will integrate with OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. Code from the project suggests they are also working on integrations with Amazon Web Services' Bedrock and Meta's LLaMA. While the project appears pretty bare bones at the moment, there is a pretty ambitious launch schedule. Per 404 Media, the GitHub code shows that the project displays a planned launch date of July 4, which is certainly one way to celebrate Independence Day. If all goes to plan, well, as the tagline to Roland Emmerich's 1996 masterpiece Independence Day goes, 'We've always believed we weren't alone. On July 4th, we'll wish we were.' The embrace of AI shouldn't come as much of a surprise, even if the project itself is relatively ill-defined at this point. Earlier this year, as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency were unceremoniously firing federal employees at the General Services Administration, it launched a chatbot that was supposed to help the remaining agency members with their tasks. That project was reportedly in the works before the DOGE team rushed it out the door, presumably in an attempt to compensate for all the labor that was cut from the agency. The project appears to be something newly concocted by Shedd and the team that remains at GSA's tech team. Given all that could go wrong with a chatbot, rushing it out the door doesn't seem like the safest or smartest idea in the world, but hey, they're the experts, right?
The Verge
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Verge
The Trump administration appears to be planning its own chatbot
The Trump administration is working on an ' website and API to 'accelerate government innovation with AI,' 404 Media found based on code posted to Github and an early version of the site. The project appears to be run by the General Services Administration's Technology Transformation Services, led by former Tesla engineer Thomas Shedd. Shedd, who The New York Times has identified as an ally to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has previously discussed using AI to detect fraud, analyze government contracts, and create ' AI coding agents ' to write software for federal agencies, according to multiple reports. The early website discovered by 404 Media (the live URL currently redirects to the White House website) describes three tools that are part of the platform, 'powered by the best in American AI.' They are: an AI chat assistant, an API to connect with models from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, and a console 'to analyze agency-wide implementation.' The project is expected to launch on July 4th, 404 reports.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
General Services Administration cuts tech unit
The General Services Administration cleaved one of its technology units Saturday morning as part of a Trump administration directive to cull the federal workforce and reduce government spending. The agency announced the cut to the 18F office — which employs researchers, website designers and product managers — on Saturday at around 1 a.m., according to an internal email obtained by POLITICO. The cuts affected about 70 product and account managers; procurement specialists; user interface engineers; researchers; and front-end, content and service designers, said a GSA manager who, like other government workers in this story, spoke anonymously to avoid retribution. About two dozen more 18F employees were slashed in February when the agency cut probationary staffers. The 18F department was responsible for building key government services like the central login system for programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. This work touches many agencies, which means cuts here could have a ripple effect across the government. 'This decision was made with explicit direction from the top levels of leadership within both the Administration and GSA,' Thomas Shedd, a one-time Tesla employee who is now the director of the Technology Transformation Services subagency at GSA, wrote in the memo. 'There are no other TTS programs impacted at this time, however we anticipate more change in the future.' These cuts, which were done at the bidding of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, are part of President Donald Trump's crusade to shrink the federal government and cut the budget. GSA's acting administrator Stephen Ehikian, a software entrepreneur, has said that the agency aims to slash its budget by eliminating contracts and personnel, according to memos POLITICO obtained. It comes during a particularly tumultuous night for federal workers, who received a second order from the federal government to demonstrate their productivity. Trump and Musk have taunted the workforce with threats of termination if they do not respond, though it's unclear if this is legally enforceable. These cuts underscore a culture shift in the federal government from a bulkier, bureaucratic one to a Silicon Valley hack-and-slash ethos incompatible with the agency's work, GSA staffers previously told POLITICO. 'We're not talking about saving money here. We're talking about saving people's lives and providing services people cannot go without,' a GSA data scientist said then.
