Federal CIO: Artificial Intelligence Initiatives Will Flop Without Quality Data

Artificial intelligence tools are only as good as the data they're built on, and it's critical agencies keep that in mind as they ramp up funding for the emerging tech, according to the government's top technologist. "If we don't make the right investments [on] the data side, it's like we have the fastest plane in the world and no fuel," said federal Chief Information Officer Suzette Kent on Wednesday. Artificial intelligence has the potential to improve citizen services, kickstart the economy and create a more efficient government, and AI innovation remains "a priority of this entire administration," Kent told the crowd at NVIDIA's GTC DC conference. But AI initiatives will only be successful if agencies first understand the data at their fingertips, she said. "Getting [data] organized and accessible for AI is no simple task," she said.