State Department Expands AI Adoption While Agencies Look to Defense for Cyber Lessons

This episode of Fed Gov Today explores how federal agencies are advancing cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and enterprise technology modernization through practical implementation and user-focused innovation. Leo Tadeo, CEO of Appgate, discusses why civilian agencies increasingly look to Department of Defense organizations for cybersecurity best practices. He explains that defense agencies operate under more demanding conditions, face highly active adversaries, and rigorously test solutions before deployment. Tadeo highlights the growing importance of disconnected operations, self-contained architectures, and approaches that reduce reliance on third-party services. He also examines how artificial intelligence changes the threat landscape by reducing the time, cost, and expertise required to conduct sophisticated cyberattacks. His recommendation focuses on cloaking vulnerable environments while agencies work through patching and remediation efforts. State Department CIO Kelly Fletcher shares the department’s rapid AI adoption journey. More than 50,000 users now leverage State Chat, the department’s generative AI platform, while thousands of custom GPTs support mission and administrative activities. Fletcher details how the department evolves from encouraging adoption to optimizing usage, building AI Champions, experimenting with a model garden, and preparing for broader deployment of Beacon, an AI-powered administrative assistant. Fletcher also provides an update on the State Department’s Tech for Life initiative, which allows employees to keep their devices as they move between assignments. The program continues into its third year, driving simplicity, efficiency, and enterprise-wide technology modernization while reducing administrative complexity across a globally distributed workforce.