Weekly Roundup: June 23-27, 2025

Emerging Technologies

Quantum Complacency Could Be Catastrophic, Lawmakers Told. The United States is on track to “experience a DeepSeek moment in quantum” unless it takes accelerated action on the quantum tech front, witnesses told lawmakers this week as they warned of “catastrophic” consequences if China wins the global race in quantum computing.  

DARPA STO Eyes Quantum Sensing for Threat Detection. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is pushing the boundaries of quantum sensing technology, seeking to rapidly transform quantum sensing from a scientific curiosity into a game-changing, field-ready capability for modern threat detection. According to Rob McHenry, deputy director of DARPA, the agency’s Strategic Technologies Office (STO) is advancing sensing methods to counter the growing stealth capabilities of U.S. adversaries by creating integrated sensor networks across all domains, leaving adversaries with, as McHenry put it, “nowhere left to hide.”

Navy CTO Puts AI, Quantum on Top Tech Development List. The Department of the Navy (DON) released a new memo detailing its top five technology priorities for future investment, and is placing artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum technologies at the forefront of those tech investment plans. In a June 17 memorandum, acting Navy Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Justin Fanelli emphasized the need for a more agile, focused, and proactive approach to technology development to meet the fast-changing demands of the service’s military and civilian missions.

OSTP Unveils Agency Data, AI Guidelines for ‘Gold Standard Science’. Automation, public data repositories, standardized metadata forms, and interoperable data-sharing platforms are some of the major pushes being made in guidance for Federal agencies looking to apply the Trump administration’s “gold standard science” objectives, according to guidance issued today by the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP). 

Defense & Intelligence

Pentagon Unveils $1.01T FY2026 Budget with Cyber, Space, AI Focus. DoD unveiled a detailed breakdown of President Trump’s fiscal year (FY) 2026 Department of Defense (DoD) budget request that totals $1.01 trillion and includes major investments in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), and space-based capabilities. Here’s how the budget breaks down: the Army is allocated $197.4 billion, the Navy $292.2 billion, the Air Force $209.6 billion, the Space Force $39.9 billion, and $170.9 billion is designated for defense-wide activities.

DoD Seeks Industry Feedback on RMF Overhaul. The Department of Defense (DoD) is looking for input from industry on its plans to “blow up” the agency’s Risk Management Framework (RMF) while switching to a real-time cybersecurity posture. “The Government is seeking input from industry to better understand current capabilities, innovative solutions, and business practices that can support revamping RMF to streamline the approval process for operational capabilities, ensuring expedited deployment for the Warfighter,” reads the request for information (RFI) published to SAM.gov on June 24.  

DoD Nominees Pledge to Speed Emerging Tech Acquisitions. Both Michael Dodd, the nominee for assistant secretary of defense for critical technologies, and Brent Ingraham, the nominee to be the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics, and technology told lawmakers during their hearing on Thursday that they plan to speed acquisitions in emerging capabilities areas such as artificial intelligence, microelectronics, and quantum science, among others.

Trump’s NCSC Pick: Drones Now Top Threat to US Intelligence. President Donald Trump’s nominee to head the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), George Wesley Street, is sounding the alarm on drones and non-traditional intelligence tactics as the most urgent – and most overlooked – threats to the U.S. intelligence community.  “Unmanned vehicles pose new risks which we are not well postured to address,” Street said. He added that the U.S. has been slow to adapt to these evolving techniques, and that puts at risks advantages the U.S. has with “emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.”

Space Force Poised to Deliver International Strategy. The U.S. Space Force (USSF) is finalizing an international partnership strategy that will emphasize the importance of embedding allies and partners into space warfare through shared goals in security, communication, and integration, with a particular focus on interoperability and rapid technology transfer.

Oversight

GAO Chief: Budget Cut Would Have ‘Grave’ Impact. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro, the head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) told senior House Appropriations Committee leaders in a June 25 letter that a 48 percent cut to GAO’s budget approved earlier this week by the committee’s Legislative Branch Subcommittee would have “grave, pervasive” effects on the agency’s ability to serve as the investigative arm of Congress. Dodaro explained that 95 percent of the agency’s work is mandated or requested by Congress and individual legislators, while the remainder is conducted under his authority as comptroller general of the U.S. and is largely focused on high-risk areas facing government agencies.

Social Security

SSA Chief: Americans’ Data Is ‘Safe,’ Tech Agenda Aims at CX. Frank Bisignano, the newly confirmed commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), told lawmakers on Wednesday that his agency is keeping Americans’ sensitive data safe, and he laid out the agency’s technology agenda to improve customer service. Bisignano, however, assured lawmakers that Americans’ personally identifiable information (PII) “is safe.” Aside from protecting Americans’ personal data, Bisignano said he is committed to “significantly improving service quality” at the agency using technology.

RECENT BLOGS

• Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI: Insights and Leadership Lessons from Faisal Hoque by Michael J. Keegan. The blog unpacks the key insights from my dialogue with Faisal Hoque, distill actionable leadership lessons, and provide practical recommendations for government executives to navigate this AI-driven era responsibly and effectively.
• Harnessing Agility in Governance: A Leadership Framework for an Agile Government by Dan Chenok. In today's rapidly changing world, governments must adapt and evolve to meet the ever-growing needs and expectations of their citizens. This essay offers valuable insights on this approach to transformation.

ICYMI – Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI - A Conversation with Faisal Hoque. This week Michael Keegan welcomed Faisal Hoque, author of Transcend: Unlocking Humanity in the Age of AI to discuss his new book and how artificial intelligence (AI) is already reshaping the world as we know it, what it means to be human in the age of AI, how to use the OPEN and CARE frameworks, and how they can be used to navigate the opportunities and dangers of AI.