Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy

The Department of the Interior responsibly and securely uses artificial intelligence to support and amplify its many missions, including delivery to protect and manage natural resources and cultural heritage, provide scientific and other information about those resources, and honor Trust responsibilities and special commitments to American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island Communities, now and into the future.    

The Department will use AI to increase benefits to people, climate and nature through the Enterprise-Wide AI Strategy goals outlined below.  

Goal 1: AI Is Used to Support and Amplify Mission Delivery

The Department will responsibly use AI to achieve its many missions, including to steward public lands, increase environmental protections, pursue environmental justice, and honor our nation-to-nation relationship with Tribes. DOI will support and foster AI use throughout the agency.  

1. Use Cases that Impact Mission Delivery are Identified, Inventoried, and Shared

   By tracking current and planned AI use cases – and sharing those with relevant internal and external audiences through the Use Case Inventory– the Department will be able to identify and prioritize deployment of uses that are proven to enhance our mission. 

2. The Department Pioneers New Use Cases that Strengthens the Mission  

   As the Department’s use of AI matures, the Department can develop, pilot, and implement larger, enterprise-wide initiatives.  

Goal 2: Drive Innovation, Increase Effectiveness and Efficiencies in the Department by Increasing the Maturity of AI  

AI will assist the Department in achieving greater accuracy and effectiveness, while gaining efficiencies to improve operations and delivery of services to employees and the public. Interior will facilitate the development and deployment of AI tools across Bureaus and Offices in a safe, secure, and effective manner. 

1. The Department Utilizes Data that is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) 

   To efficiently use data to achieve mission outcomes today and in the future, data assets must be managed, well documented, and AI ready. Developing and maintaining FAIR data are essential to building and training reliable AI models. The availability of these data is essential to increasing Interior’s responsible use of AI to support our mission objectives. 

2. Equitable Access to Resources is Provided Across the Department

   As Interior expands adoption of AI-enabled tools, the Department must remove barriers to ensure IT infrastructure, FAIR data, and training is available to streamline the access and usage of these tools. The Department is focused on making AI resources available to everyone across the agency by offering open and equitable access to AI tools and training, which advance and promote opportunities to benefit from the use of AI. 

3. Collaboration and Data Sharing  

   In addition, to capture the true value in the Department’s data, mechanisms that allow collaboration through data sharing, interoperability, and open science, should be employed when appropriate.

4. Develop, Expand and Maximize Partnerships to Leverage AI Tools and Increase Capacity 

   A crucial strategy to enabling Interior to expand the development of AI use cases and increase mission capacity is to establish strategic partnerships both across the federal government and with our partners and collaborators. 

Goal 3: The Department Has an AI-Ready Workforce 

A diverse AI-ready workforce – through both training of current employees and the hiring of an AI-enabling workforce – is essential for the long-term implementation of AI across Interior. The ability for the Department to effectively meet the needs of the American people and effectively carry out our mission is dependent on attracting and retaining the best talent who are fully engaged and committed. The Department’s workforce currently spans a broad array of awareness and literacy regarding AI, from the hesitant to those who are already using AI tools in their roles. Interior seeks to establish a learning-first environment to allow employees to safely and securely pioneer uses of AI that support their mission functions.  

1. The Department Supports a Culture of Learning, Including for AI 

   In the early stages of AI adoption, the Department must support employees in developing and expanding data and AI literacy and fostering an environment that promotes learning and development about the use of AI tools.  

2. The Department Offers Essential AI Training to Staff 

   Interior will offer trainings, workshops, detail assignments, and other avenues to support employees in learning about and implementing AI tools. 

3. The Department’s Hiring Strategy Integrates AI Skill Acquisition and Building  

   Adoption of AI throughout Interior’s mission areas will also require new areas of expertise to support the development and adoption of AI tools. The Department will leverage existing mechanisms – including internships, fellowships, and skills-based hiring – to recruit a diverse and skilled workforce to drive innovation and enhance organizational capacity. 

Goal 4: Responsible, Trustworthy, and Accessible AI is the Department’s Standard 

While the adoption of AI tools presents an opportunity to expand and deliver on Interior’s mission, it is critical that adoption be governed in a way that facilitates innovation and experimentation while protecting rights and providing safeguards against risks. 

1. Effective Governance of the Use of AI 

   The Department’s Chief AI Officer (CAIO) and Management Initiatives Team (MIT) will provide senior leadership in developing policies to guide the implementation of AI across the Department. 

2. Use Case Monitoring  

   A key function of AI Governance is to establish protocols around the approval and monitoring of AI use cases within the Department. 

3. AI Advances Equity, Civil Rights, and Accessibility 

   Adoption of AI at the Department will maintain adherence to existing policies and practices to ensure civil rights and equity, including protecting the public’s privacy as well as part of the sovereign-to-sovereign relationship with federally recognized Tribes. The Department will continue its engagement of diverse stakeholders, including marginalized communities, in discussions about AI and its impacts. This inclusive approach ensures that privacy concerns from various perspectives are considered, leading to more robust privacy protections. The Department will also review and enhance as necessary it’s privacy program to mitigate any additional potential privacy risks associated with AI adoption.