USAID’s new tech strategies; Cyber director Coker’s mission for federal cohesion

The U.S. global development agency, USAID, is intensifying its focus on artificial intelligence, exploring both its potential benefits and challenges. Following the recent announcement of a new policy on democracy, human rights, and governance, USAID Administrator Samantha Power underscored the importance of leveraging technology to bolster democracy. However, she also cautioned about the potential misuse of these tools by authoritarian regimes to suppress dissent. In her remarks, Power said, “This policy expands our toolbox so that we can keep up with fast-moving technology that can be weaponized against citizens, it codifies our intent to counter the rise of digital repression at its source.” She noted ongoing efforts to increase transparency and raise awareness about how new technologies and data are used. Power’s comments followed her meeting with Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, discussing AI applications in global development, including successful deployments in Mexico and India.

In cybersecurity news, National Cyber Director Harry Coker emphasized the goal of achieving federal coherence across government efforts in cybersecurity. In a CyberScoop interview, Coker, who took office seven months ago, highlighted the importance of collaboration over hierarchy within federal cybersecurity initiatives. He stated, “We lead by collaboration,” noting that the Office of the National Cyber Director prioritizes cooperative relationships over leading or dominating discussions. Coker discussed his regular interactions with Anne Neuberger and Jen Easterly, indicating robust ongoing dialogues among key cybersecurity leaders. He also mentioned collaboration with the Office of Management and Budget and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, focusing on setting cyber priorities for the fiscal year 2026 budget and promoting advancements like memory-safe computing languages.

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