The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Tuesday that it has hired the first 10 members of its AI Corps – the product of the agency’s first-ever sprint to hire 50 AI technology experts – and added a new director to lead the team.
The 10 inaugural AI Corps hires have backgrounds in AI and machine learning (ML), data science, data engineering, program and product management, software engineering, and cybersecurity.
The new AI hires will work on projects such as delivering immigration services, combatting online child sexual exploitation and abuse, fortifying critical infrastructure, and enhancing cybersecurity.
“Our department is at the forefront of the Federal government in harnessing AI’s potential to achieve the mission,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said in a press release. “We are excited to onboard our first group of AI experts to begin the work of our new AI Corps. I look forward to growing our AI Corps in the months ahead, as we continue to introduce the safe and responsible use of AI across the broad range of missions we perform.”
DHS also announced that Michael Boyce will serve as the first director of the DHS AI Corps. Boyce previously served at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he helped write the section on Federal use of generative AI technology in President Biden’s AI executive order.
Boyce also served as the chief of innovation and design at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Refugee, Asylum and International Operations (RAIO) Directorate.
“I’m honored to join and lead this team alongside such talented individuals; the first of several additions to what will become [the] largest and most dynamic civilian AI team in the Federal government,” said Boyce. “AI is the most important technology of our time and it is going to change how we do our critical work to serve the American people. We have a big responsibility to develop and use AI in ways that take advantage of its potential while protecting privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.”
DHS first announced creation of the AI Corps at an event in Mountain View, Calif., on Feb. 6. The hiring initiative stems from President Biden’s AI executive order issued in late October 2023 that focuses on seizing the promise and managing the risk of the emerging technology.
The 10 new hires include:
- Sadaf Asrar, previously an AI technology expert for the National Center for Education Statistics;
- Zach Fasnacht, previously a senior manager of product management at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), and prior to that a lead AI/ML product manager at Allstate Insurance;
- Pramod Gadde, previously a machine learning lead and founder of several healthcare-related startups, including Confidante;
- Sean Harvey, former group product manager at Google where he served as the lead on YouTube’s Trust and Safety team focused on global elections and combatting misinformation;
- Jenny Kim, previously principal product manager at McKinsey & Company, leading the development of machine learning and advanced analytics solutions for U.S. defense and healthcare clients;
- Babatunde Oguntade, former senior principal data scientist at CACI International where he supported agencies such as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the Joint Special Operations Command;
- Christine Palmer, previously chief technology officer of the U.S. Naval Observatory;
- Stephen Quirolgico, who has over 25 years of government, industry, and academic research and development experience in areas including AI;
- Raquel Romano, who most recently served as the senior director of engineering at Fora and previously engineering lead at the United States Digital Service; and
- Robin L. Rosenberger, former director of interagency IT, data, and analytics initiatives in the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
“The new talent joining DHS will help empower our workforce to quickly leverage AI technology in their efforts to safeguard our nation,” said DHS Chief Information Officer and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer Eric Hysen. “The range of professional and academic experiences these new hires bring to the federal government, some for the first time, will go a long way in our efforts to modernize our services. The AI Corps will help transform the way people interact with the government.”
