Government isn't short on AI ideas, pilots, or investment. The bigger challenge now is turning all of that momentum into measurable mission impact, without creating a whole new set of risks along the way. OrangeSlices CEO David Blackburn recently sat down with Jonathan Alboum, Federal CTO at ServiceNow, for a wide-ranging conversation about where federal AI really stands today, where agencies are beginning to find success, and what could change over the next 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Jonathan brings a perspective that few technology leaders can. Before joining ServiceNow, he served as CIO of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, helping lead modernization across a roughly $3 billion annual technology environment. He also held senior technology and acquisition leadership roles at GSA and served as CIO of USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. In other words, Jonathan hasn't just watched federal modernization happen. He's been responsible for making it happen. He's navigated the technology, acquisition, workforce, governance, risk, and mission considerations that come with trying to drive meaningful change inside government. Today, from his role at ServiceNow, he gets to look at many of those same challenges from the other side of the table. And that makes this conversation particularly interesting. Jonathan shares what he's seeing across the federal landscape, where agencies are finding traction with AI today, how the technology is beginning to change government operations and constituent experiences, and where he believes the biggest opportunities are still ahead. He also offers some bold predictions about what the next two years could bring as agencies move beyond experimentation and begin thinking much more seriously about AI at enterprise scale. The conversation also gets into an increasingly important challenge: visibility. As agencies deploy more AI, how do leaders know what's actually operating across their environment, where it's being used, whether it's delivering value, and where risk may be accumulating? Jonathan discusses the concept of an AI control tower and how greater enterprise-level oversight can give leaders a clearer view of their AI environment and help them make better decisions around investment, governance, performance, and risk. If you're a GovCon growth executive, technology leader, or government decision-maker trying to understand where federal AI is going rather than simply where it is today, this is one worth making time for. Jonathan has been inside government, he's now seeing the market from industry, and he brings a grounded perspective on what's working, what's coming next, and what leaders on both sides of the table should be preparing for now. To connect with Jonathan, follow him on LinkedIn here. Learn more about ServiceNow by visiting their webpage here.
