Skip Descant

1 week ago | govtech.com | Skip Descant

“What we have right now in the United States is a patchwork approach. Because we don’t have a federal framework,” said Ron Thaniel, senior director for policy and regulatory affairs at Zoox, a maker of robotaxi technology.

2 weeks ago | govtech.com | Skip Descant

“We need to reimagine the systems in how government engages with emerging technologies and startups,” Leigh-Ann Buchanan, president and CEO of the nonprofit Miami-Dade Innovation Authority, said Wednesday at the CoMotion Miami conference.

2 weeks ago | govtech.com | Skip Descant

“Letting people know they can change things, or doing quick experiments, and seeing if it looks like there’s potential there,” is the way Brendan Babb describes his approach to serving as the first chief innovation officer for the city of Anchorage, Alaska. “I feel like people who are closest to the problems usually have the best ideas on how to solve them,” Babb added in a recent interview. At the center of cultivating a culture of innovation is a willingness to experiment.

2 weeks ago | govtech.com | Skip Descant

Under Khaled Tawfik’s leadership, San Jose, Calif., is positioning itself as a thought center for the use of artificial intelligence in government. “Anticipate how life is going to look in 2050 and ask ourselves, what can we do today to be prepared?” said CIO Tawfik, speaking on a panel at the GovAI Coalition Summit last December.*Tawfik was instrumental in forming the GovAI Coalition to develop policies and practices to both use — and corral — this quickly emerging technology.

2 weeks ago | govtech.com | Skip Descant

“We should all recognize that autonomous vehicles are not just futuristic concepts, but a tangible solution for the evolving needs for public transportation,” said Aundra Wallace, vice chair of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) Board of Directors, during the opening April 17 of the Autonomous Innovation Center (AIC).