I’ve observed firsthand the mounting pressure on federal agencies to advance AI while maintaining rigorous safeguards for civil rights, privacy, and accountability. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Memorandum M-25-21 isn’t just another directive; it’s a transformational roadmap that requires agencies to develop AI strategies by September.
M-25-21, issued in April 2025, directs federal agencies to accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence through a focus on innovation, governance, and public trust. It outlines comprehensive strategies for responsible AI use, including the designation of Chief AI Officers, development of agency-wide AI strategies, and implementation of minimum risk management practices for high-impact use cases. It marks a bold shift toward empowering federal agencies to responsibly harness AI while safeguarding civil rights and ensuring transparency and accountability.
In my experience working with government agencies, this technology push represents a significant paradigm shift. But let’s be clear: deploying AI in secure, mission-critical environments requires infrastructure that far exceeds current capabilities. Traditional systems simply can’t handle what’s coming.
We founded VAST Data Federal to redefine what’s possible for federal agencies. Our AI-native data platform unifies storage, database, and containerized compute into a scalable solution purpose-built for the public sector’s unique challenges.
Critical Challenges Agencies Face
In my time implementing data solutions across various agencies, I’ve identified three persistent obstacles:
-
Fragmented Data Systems
I see this everywhere I go. Most agencies operate with siloed storage architectures that complicate access and increase risk. When you’re constantly copying data across environments, you’re not just creating inefficiency, you’re introducing serious security vulnerabilities. -
Prioritizing Use Cases
You can’t leverage your data if you don’t have clear visibility into it. Without a strong foundation in AI strategy, agencies experience what I call implementation paralysis—hesitance that widens gaps in workforce expertise and data governance. This inevitably brings increased scrutiny on the effective use of taxpayer dollars. -
Security and Compliance Gaps
The infrastructure in many agencies lacks the robust security and auditing capabilities needed to meet evolving federal mandates. I’ve witnessed how reactive approaches to these challenges drain both financial and human resources.
Comprehensive ABAC for Structured and Unstructured Data
Our platform delivers robust attribute-based access control (ABAC) capabilities that span both structured and unstructured data, a critical requirement for federal agencies handling sensitive information.
In my work with intelligence communities, I’ve seen how traditional access controls fail when confronted with the complexity of unstructured data like documents, images, and video feeds. VAST’s implementation provides fine-grained, dynamic authorization based on attributes of the user, data, and environment in real time.
This aligns perfectly with zero trust principles while enabling agencies to apply consistent security policies across all data types. When working with RAG-based generative AI applications, our ABAC controls dynamically filter content chunks at response time—ensuring only authorized information appears in AI outputs, maintaining security without sacrificing performance or user experience.
Streamlined AI Agent Deployment with DataEngine
During my conversations with agency CTOs, I consistently hear frustration about the complexity of operationalizing AI. That’s why we engineered our DataEngine component to simplify AI agent deployment and management.
With VAST, agencies can deploy, manage, and scale AI agents in production environments without the typical integration headaches. Our platform’s event-driven orchestration and GPU-optimized processing ensure AI-driven applications work with fresh, high-quality data, eliminating latency issues that plague traditional implementations.
I’ve seen firsthand how this capability transforms operations. One defense agency reduced its AI deployment time from months to days while maintaining strict compliance with federal mandates. DataEngine captures the semantic essence of data as it enters the system, ensuring AI models deliver accurate, contextually relevant insights that drive mission success.
Real-World AI in Action
At VAST Data Federal, we’re proud to support mission-critical applications such as:
- Biometric identification with sub-millisecond latency
- Investigative intelligence for faster case triage
- Digital twins for improved threat modeling
We’ve also revolutionized how agencies handle sensor data and video analytics through innovative AI solutions.
Transforming Sensor Data into Actionable Intelligence
Our sensor data pipeline transforms raw information into actionable intelligence, addressing what I’ve seen as a critical gap in many agencies. We streamline the entire workflow—from acquisition to analyst consumption—incorporating AI-powered signal processing, feature extraction, and classification techniques.
This approach eliminates the traditional bottlenecks in processing enormous data volumes that once required manual human analysis. In my work with defense agencies, I’ve seen how our platform enables non-technical personnel to independently understand and leverage sensor data—dramatically accelerating time-to-insight while maintaining strict compliance standards.
Advancing Video Analytics with Agentic AI
We’ve similarly transformed video analytics capabilities through our agentic AI solutions. Our platform deploys sophisticated AI agents that perform complex, multi-step reasoning based on video streams to handle investigative tasks with minimal human intervention. These agents monitor video feeds in real time, detecting suspicious activities and alerting authorities immediately.
What truly sets our solution apart—and I’ve witnessed this firsthand during deployments—is the contextual understanding these agents provide. They can answer sophisticated questions about environments captured in video, tracking objects, individuals, and activities across time to support comprehensive investigative workflows.
Using advanced machine learning techniques like convolutional neural networks (CNNs), our agents deliver unprecedented accuracy in facial recognition, motion detection, and behavioral analysis that fundamentally transforms how agencies conduct video-based investigations.
Supporting the Mission
I’ve dedicated my career to helping agencies navigate complex data challenges. The VAST Data Platform directly supports M-25-21’s objectives by providing the infrastructure simplicity needed to accelerate AI deployment while ensuring end-to-end data protection.
Want to learn more? Join our upcoming webinar addressing the M-25-21. You also can join me and other AI practitioners on Cosmos to continue the discussion.
