President Joe Biden's decision to elevate the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to a Cabinet-level position underscores the importance of artificial intelligence in America's future. His selection of Alondra Nelson to be deputy director of OSTP shows that unlocking AI's potential will be done with a focus on racial and gender equity. Nelson, a Black woman whose research focuses on the intersection of science, technology and social inequality, has said that technologies like AI "reveal and reflect even more about the complex and sometimes dangerous social architecture that lies beneath the scientific progress that we pursue." There's no doubt that ethics must be foundational to the design, development and acquisition of AI capabilities, and that government agencies should embed trustworthy AI as part of a holistic strategy to transform the way government operates. Agency leaders can start by identifying areas where AI can transform their internal operations and improve their public-facing mission services with minimal risk of bias.