As the federal government transitions from individual AI models to dynamic, multi-agent systems, the mission focus is shifting toward governing autonomous entities in high-stakes environments. During his recent AITalks session, Dr. Paul Rodrigues, Chief AI Officer for Microsoft Federal’s National Security Group, outlined the critical evolution required to manage what he calls the “agentic agency.” While the federal government has been a pioneer in AI for decades, the nature of the technology has fundamentally shifted. Previous iterations focused on “narrow AI systems” that executed specific tasks in a serial manner, Rodrigues said. Today’s AI landscape is empowered by “complex systems with agents that interact with each other,” similar to how people interact in the workplace, to meet broader mission requirements.

Full report : Microsoft’s Paul Rodrigues explains why agencies must move beyond deploying AI to orchestrating and governing autonomous agents with built-in oversight, identity and accountability.