Tyto Athene’s Chief Technology Officer, Peter O’Donoghue, joined a panel of GovCon technology leaders for WashingtonExec’s virtual discussion, “The Future of Government Service is Human-Centered, Data-Driven, AI-Enabled & Securely Connected.”
Moderated by WashingtonExec’s Amanda Ziadeh, the conversation brought together four CTOs shaping the federal technology landscape:
- Peter O’Donoghue, CTO, Tyto Athene
- Derrick Pledger, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Maximus
- David Egts, MuleSoft Field CTO, Salesforce
- Matt Webster, CTO, Epoch Concepts
Together, they examined how AI, data, connectivity, and human-centered design will define government service as agencies accelerate their digital transformation.
Key Takeaways
AI as a Mission Accelerator — and a National Security Imperative
Across the panel, leaders agreed that AI has moved from experimentation to real operational value. As agencies look to scale these capabilities, they must balance innovation with readiness, particularly as adversaries advance their own data-driven capabilities. Peter emphasized that mission advantage will increasingly depend on the ability to collect, move, and use data rapidly at the edge, a core focus area for Tyto Athene.
Scaling AI Responsibly: Data Quality, Governance, and MLOps
Panelists highlighted the challenges agencies face in preparing data environments for AI adoption, including reliability, governance, and accessibility. As organizations transition from pilot efforts to enterprise-scale deployments, strengthening MLOps practices, monitoring model drift, and establishing consistent data foundations will be essential.
Human-Centered Design: Reducing Cognitive Burden
A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the necessity of designing AI solutions that reduce cognitive load for mission users, particularly warfighters operating in high-pressure environments.
“Understanding the context in which a solution will be used is as important as the technology itself. If the recommendation isn’t clear and usable in a high-pressure environment, we’ve missed the mark.”- Peter O’Donoghue
Looking Ahead: Open Ecosystems, Edge AI, and Interoperability
Panelists outlined several trends that will shape the next phase of government AI adoption:
- Scaling from isolated pilots to enterprise-level architectures
- Developing open, interoperable ecosystems that encourage collaboration across government and industry
- Expanding the use of Small Language Models (SLMs) to support fast, secure, and mission-specific AI at the tactical edge.