Practice Areas/Artificial Intelligence

Practice Area

Artificial Intelligence

AI is moving faster than the rules around it. The people who wrote federal AI policy, set the standards, and deployed these systems in government can help you get ahead of both.

When people seek this expertise

Situations that bring organizations here

  • Building an AI governance program: boards and executives want AI adopted responsibly, and former officials who wrote government AI guidance know what credible governance actually looks like.

  • Navigating emerging regulation: AI rules are taking shape across federal agencies, states, and international bodies at once, and people who worked inside that process read the direction of travel earlier.

  • Selling AI to government: winning federal and state AI work means meeting procurement, security, and risk requirements that former agency technology leaders have applied from the buying side.

  • Assessing AI risk: deploying models in high-stakes settings calls for the testing, evaluation, and documentation discipline that government AI programs pioneered.

  • National security questions: AI intersects with export controls, foreign investment review, and defense applications, and former national security officials navigate that terrain daily.

  • Briefing leadership and boards: directors want a grounded view of AI opportunity and exposure, delivered by someone who has advised at the highest levels of government.

Where this expertise comes from

Agencies and roles behind the directory

  • OSTP (White House Office of Science and Technology Policy): former staff map to national AI strategy and cross-government coordination.

  • NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology): former standards and measurement professionals map to AI risk management frameworks, testing, and evaluation.

  • Defense and intelligence AI offices: former Department of Defense and intelligence community technology leaders map to mission deployment, procurement, and security review.

  • Agency chief data and AI officers: former CDOs and CAIOs map to enterprise adoption, data governance, and responsible-use programs.

  • Regulators and enforcement: former FTC and sector-regulator officials map to consumer protection, algorithmic accountability, and marketing claims about AI.

  • Congressional technology staff: former committee advisors map to legislative outlook and hearing preparation on AI issues.

The organizations that get AI right will be the ones that understood the rules while they were still being written. Browse the professionals below and reach out directly.

Members in this practice area

Artificial Intelligence

Showing 1–10 of 70
Ranked by relevance to Artificial Intelligence from verified member profiles.
Duane C. Pozza
Duane C. Pozza
Verified7 years of government experience
Tech Optimist | Partner at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryServed as Assistant Director at FTC, focusing on consumer protection in financial technology. Specializes in consumer protection, technology regulation, and data privacy, advising on emerging technologies.

Current
PartnerWiley Rein LLP
Consumer ProtectionCivil Litigation
Former Government
AttorneyFederal Trade Commission (FTC)
Attorney
Practice Areas
PaymentsTrade AssociationsConsumer Protection & Antitrust+1
Sectors
Financial Data & Stock ExchangesTrade, Transportation, & UtilitiesTelecommunications+1
Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →
Usman M. Sheikh
Usman M. Sheikh
Verified3 years of foreign government experience
Partner at Baker McKenzie LLP

AI SummaryUsman M. Sheikh served at the Ontario Securities Commission. His roles in technology law and litigation make him suited for advising on emerging tech and digital assets.

Current
Partner, Chair of the Blockchain & FinTech Practice Baker McKenzie LLP
Civil LitigationAttorney Advisor
Former Government
Enforcement CounselOntario Securities Commission
Attorney AdvisorInvestigations
Practice Areas
Capital MarketsTechnologyCommercial Litigation+1
Sectors
Financial Data & Stock ExchangesGovernment ServicesTechnology+1
Toronto, OntarioView Profile →
BT
Bryan T. Byrne
8 years of foreign government experience
GLOBAL STRATEGY, INNOVATION & PARTNERSHIPS EXECUTIVE

AI SummaryServed at USAID, managing trade, partnerships, and development programs. Specializes in international trade, partnerships, and development strategy.

Former Government
Director, Development Partnerships and InnovationUSAID
Management
Practice Areas
Alternative EnergyForeign RelationsAgriculture+1
Sectors
Financial ServicesProduct DevelopmentFood & Agriculture+1
Erin M. Prest
Erin M. Prest
18 years of government experience
Partner and Co-Lead, Cybersecurity & Data Privacy

AI SummaryFormer Privacy & Civil Liberties Officer and Deputy General Counsel at the FBI, Erin Prest specializes in federal privacy law and data security strategy, advising on data breaches and AI governance.

Current
PartnerMcCarter & English, LLP
AttorneyPrivacy
Former Government
Acting Unit ChiefFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
PrivacyPrivacy Law
Practice Areas
Privacy / Data PrivacyCybercrimeArtificial Intelligence +1
Sectors
Legal
Washington , District of ColumbiaView Profile →
Rob O'Brien
Rob O'Brien
Verified
International trade associate in Baker McKenzie LLP

AI SummaryServed at US Department of Commerce; specializes in international trade law, export controls, and sanctions. Experienced in legal research, regulatory analysis, and compliance.

Current
Associate, International TradeBaker & McKenzie LLP
Attorney AdvisorInternational Trade Law
Former Government
Legal Intern, Foreign Legal Development U.S. Department of Commerce(DOC)
Regulatory SpecialistLegal
Practice Areas
TechnologyArms TradeInternational Trade Commission (ITC)+1
Sectors
TelecommunicationsGovernment ServicesAdvisory & Financial Services+1
San Francisco, CaliforniaView Profile →
Dylan Hayden
Dylan Hayden
10 years of government experience
AI & Public Policy | Government Data Leader

AI SummaryDylan Hayden served as an analyst for HUD and VA, specializing in data-driven decision-making and AI governance. His current roles as a data strategist and educator in AI for public sector leadership suit him for consulting on AI and public policy.

Current
Founder & CEOPublius AI
ConsultingPublic Policy
Former Government
Enterprise Open Data LeadU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD)
Federal GovernmentData Scientist
Practice Areas
Income InequalityHealth CareGrant Review+1
Sectors
Professional & Business ServicesProfessional, Scientific, & Technical Services
Baltimore, MarylandView Profile →
Tony Phillips
Tony Phillips
Verified4 years of government experience
Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AI SummaryServed as Director & Associate General Counsel - Integrity at Meta; trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice; expertise in complex litigation, regulatory compliance, and white-collar defense.

Current
Executive Board Member (Vice President-District Operations)Scouting America National Capital Area Council
Non-Profits / NGOs
Former Government
JAG (Judge Advocate General) OfficerU.S. Air Force
AttorneyMilitary and Protective Services
Practice Areas
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act TechnologyArtificial Intelligence +1
Sectors
Aerospace & DefenseGovernment ServicesReal Estate+1
Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →
Nazak Nikakhtar
Nazak Nikakhtar
Verified7 years of government experience
Chair, National Security, Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryNazak Nikakhtar served as Assistant Secretary for Industry & Analysis at the U.S. Department of Commerce from 2018 to 2021, specializing in international trade law and national security.

Current
Partner, International Trade and National Security Practice (Co-Chair) Wiley Rein LLP
International Trade LawNational Security Law
Former Government
Under Secretary of Industry and Security (Performing Non-Exclusive Duties)U.S. Department of Commerce(DOC)
Planning, Policy, StrategyInternational Trade Law
Practice Areas
Unfair CompetitionTelecom: Litigation & ArbitrationInternational Trade Commission (ITC)+1
Sectors
Trade, Transportation, & UtilitiesTelecommunicationsGovernment Services+1
Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →
Jacquelynn Ruff
Jacquelynn Ruff
Verified4 years of government experience
Consulting Counsel at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryJacquelynn Ruff served at the FCC and Verizon, focusing on international policy and trade. She specializes in telecom, media, and technology, advising on global issues and strategic direction.

Current
Consulting CounselWiley Rein LLP
ConsultingTechnology
Former Government
Associate Chief and Chief of StaffFederal Communications Commission (FCC)
Communications LawPlanning, Policy, Strategy
Practice Areas
Digital & E-Commerce Engagement & InnovationConsultant/ExpertDigital Assets & Web3+1
Sectors
Financial Data & Stock ExchangesInformation TechnologyAdvisory & Financial Services+1
Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →
Tracye Winfrey Howard
Tracye Winfrey Howard
Verified9 years of government experience
Government Contracts Partner at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryTracye Winfrey Howard served as a law clerk at the Court of Federal Claims and a legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate, specializing in legal research and drafting, which suits her current role as a government contracts partner at Wiley Rein LLP.

Current
AttorneyWiley Rein LLP
ProcurementAttorney
Former Government
Law ClerkCourt of Federal Claims
Law ClerkResearch
Practice Areas
International Trade Commission (ITC)Communications Law / FCCCommercial Litigation+1
Sectors
Information TechnologyAdvisory & Financial ServicesLegal
Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →

Engaging an AI professional

Why work with a former government professional on AI?

Government wrote the frameworks everyone now borrows from and runs some of the highest-stakes AI deployments anywhere. People from that world bring judgment tested where failure was not an option.

How do I choose the right background for my situation?

Match the problem: governance and risk point to standards and White House backgrounds; government sales point to former agency technology buyers; security questions point to defense and intelligence alumni.

How does contacting someone work?

Open a profile and reach out directly. FormerGov connects you with the professional; there's no intermediary or fee to make contact.

Do members work independently or through firms?

Both. Some advise through firms or entities, others independently; each profile describes how that professional engages.

For former officials

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