How New OPM Director Scott Kupor Plans to Address AI Adoption in Government

Years ago, as we were ramping up efforts on a startup and technology agenda in Congress, one of our earliest connections was a General Partner at venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz named Scott Kupor. At the time, Silicon Valley wasn’t very interested in what Washington was up to. And other than a tool to connect with potential voters, Washington didn’t fully appreciate how technology would serve as a new class of economic growth.

But Scott, through his roles at the firm and the National Venture Capital Association, was the unofficial ambassador of the Valley to Washington—maintaining a regular presence in the Capitol and dedicated to the policies that would strengthen the connective tissue between these two worlds that are now so obviously intertwined.

So, as a platform where “tech meets policy”, Kupor’s leadership of the Office of Personnel Management is an exciting development for us.

Here’s a big reason why: despite the near consistent talk track of AI disruption in the workforce, there is a real concern of lagging AI adoption. Or at the very least, AI skepticism driven by the concern of a what it means for one’s job status.

But as we have said in the past, whether it is weather forecasting or new defense systems, AI has the potential to save lives. And our government should not hesitate to use it as a tool. That appears to be a top priority for Kupor.

In a letter to OPM employees he published last week, he stated: “We will be a leader in the adoption of AI in our everyday work and, most importantly, we will help ensure that the federal government is prepared for the skills and job implications of a post-AI world".

You’d be hard pressed to find a voter who doesn’t support more effective and efficient government services. But for the uninitiated, it is really hard to implement systems and processes that are foundational for delivering better results for the American people.

In his letter, Kupor outlines OPM’s mission to change that, committing that the agency will“create and support a world-class, high performance people culture that enables government employees to deliver the most efficient and highest quality set of services on behalf of the American people".

Three cheers to Scott and the OPM team on this hugely important mission.