Dr. Mike Horton
Federal Leadership
Mike Horton was appointed as the acting chief AI officer for the Department of Transportation in September 2024. In the role, he has directed AI innovation at the department, overseeing AI governance, risk management, and compliance with federal frameworks. He also spearheaded the development of the AI governance platform “TrUCKR” and the Operations Network “TrAIN,” structured for systematic AI use-case tracking and deployment oversight. Horton champions scalable, mission-aligned AI — framing AI systems as “employees” requiring lifecycle care — and promotes workforce development, infrastructure modernization, and measurable ROI for AI adoption across the agency.
