The Biden administration issued a last-minute executive order on AI infrastructure. And OPM has a new IT chief.

The State Department has already begun to implement the president’s memo cancelling telework agreements as of March 1 and remote work arrangements July 1, with exceptions for military spouses and employees with disabilities.

OPM said technological advances necessitated the changes, but some stakeholders argued the modifications still don’t reflect current governmental needs.

Taka Ariga, the chief data officer at the Office of Personnel Management, said the agency is modernizing, better integrating the EHRI and FedScope databases.

The Office of Personnel Management has created a new email account meant to collect reports of suspected diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, one of a series of moves the Trump administration has taken to slash DEI efforts across the federal workforce.

Greg Hogan will serve as the new CIO for the personnel agency, following Melvin Brown II’s one-week stint in the role.

Trump has promised to accelerate the production of American-made AI to compete against China for global leadership in the technology.

Steve Hernandez, Education’s CISO, and Brian Bordelon, Education’s deputy CIO, have moved to new agencies to take on similar roles.

Trump then went on to criticize the nation’s electric grid, calling it old while noting that he would allow the tech companies to rely on any fuel that they want to run the plants. And if the energy plants fail, Trump claimed the country could return to “good clean coal.”

On Tuesday, Trump threatened a 10 percent tariff against China “based on the fact that they’re sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada,” and said he was considering tariffs against the European Union over a $350 billion trade deficit. But at Davos, these threats did not go over well.

The Trump administration is planning to lay off all federal employees who worked in a diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility office as of this past Election Day and has instructed agencies to immediately place such workers on paid administrative leave.

Generative AI is already improving federal agency operations by streamlining processes, enhancing decision-making and improving service delivery. However, experts say success hinges on robust policies, targeted pilot programs and modernized infrastructure.