According to a spokesperson from the department who conversed with MeriTalk on Tuesday, the Department of Education has appointed Vijay Sharma as the Chief Technology Officer to fulfill the roles of the agency’s responsible AI officer and Chief AI Officer (CAIO).
As outlined in the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) draft AI guidance for Federal agencies and the recent AI executive order issued by the Biden administration, Sharma will be responsible for executing the AI-related tasks.
In alignment with President Biden’s highly anticipated AI executive order (EO), OMB introduced a new draft policy focusing on Advancing Governance, Innovation, and Risk Management for Agency Use of Artificial Intelligence.
The directive mandates that all agencies designate a CAIO, a position crucial for providing guidance on AI management, overseeing the agency’s AI initiatives, promoting AI integration into the agency’s mission, and mitigating AI-related risks.
The OMB document specifies various responsibilities for the CAIOs within each agency, including advising on skill requirements for implementing AI, advocating for AI’s benefits internally and externally, and driving AI initiatives.
Sharma, who has served as the district’s Chief Technology Officer for over eight years, previously held the role of Tree Commander at the US Patent and Trademark Office’s Business Services Implementation Division starting in 2010, as indicated on his LinkedIn profile.
