TMF’s $200M Second Act: AI, Cybersecurity & the Fight to Modernize Government

In part two of Francis Rose’s conversation with former Federal CIOs Tony Scott and Suzette Kent, the focus turns to what’s next for the Technology Modernization Fund. With $5 million in new authorization and roughly $200 million still available to award, the TMF is positioned for a critical new phase. The latest $28 million award to the National Nuclear Security Administration highlights a major shift: artificial intelligence and cybersecurity are now central to modernization efforts.

Scott argues AI is transforming both offensive and defensive cyber operations, making continued modernization essential. Kent notes that “new and emerging technologies” are written into the TMF’s mandate, and agencies’ newly released AI inventories could drive strong future proposals.

The two also discuss whether the fund is large enough to meet government-wide needs and how disciplined business cases, repayment models, and leadership buy-in have fueled the TMF’s unusually high success rate.