Now is the time to build bridges,’ says Code for America CEO

The civic tech nonprofit Code for America is hosting its annual summit, in Chicago, this week. Amanda Renteria, the group’s chief executive, said the event is “one moment you get in community on this marathon,” the marathon being the long stretch of challenges facing government technology leaders: changing budgets, changing federal policy and new technologies that are both offer promise and challenge agencies. “Now is the time to build bridges,” Renteria said on the Priorities Podcast, adding that joining the event is a way for people who work on services for the public to see that “you can do technology for people first.”

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A guidebook published Tuesday by the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity at UC Berkeley provides a thorough look at the various state-led and community-led cybersecurity efforts that have grown more common in recent years. The guidebook shows that such groups, like regional security operations centers and state cyber corps, provide vast economic benefit wherever they’re established.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Pennsylvania Department of State on Tuesday announced that the agency filed a lawsuit against Character.AI over its artificial intelligence-powered companion chatbots impersonating medical professionals. One of the chatbots, according to the suit, even provided a fake license number.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger last week announced she’s selected David Wilkinson, a former Obama White House official, to serve in her Cabinet as Virginia’s chief transformation officer. In a press release, Wilkinson said he plans to deliver “practical solutions on the issues that matter to Virginians.”

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