The Shutdown Silver Lining: Rebuilding Government with AI and Resilience

On this edition of Fed Gov Today with Francis Rose, former NASA Chief Data Officer Ron Thompson sees a potential silver lining in the ongoing government shutdown — a chance to rebuild. Ron reflects on lessons from the 1995 shutdown and explains why today’s federal leaders have a unique opportunity to modernize their operating models. He shares how agencies can use this disruption as an inflection point to realign missions, rebuild trust, and bring in transformative technologies like AI and automation to deliver better outcomes for citizens.

You’ll learn how leaders can support frazzled teams returning from furlough, providing empathy and stability while embracing innovation. Ron argues that automation shouldn’t be feared but embraced as a tool to elevate human work, not replace it.

Subscribe and listen to the Fed Gov Today Podcast anytime on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or at FedGovToday.com.