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Cost Estimating NewsBrief: October 23, 2026
Why Data Modeling Is Not Enough
(MIT Sloan Management Review) Why do so many data science efforts still fail organizations? In many cases, there is a gap between the models that data scientists produce and the information that business managers need. Data science work must do more than model data: It must connect to the specific decisions managers face. Here’s how leaders can sharpen their focus on decision science. Imagine that, as an operations manager at a global retailer, you have invested heavily in data science. Your data science team has built sophisticated models that produce demand predictions for the company’s products with impressive accuracy. Read More
Artificial Intelligence: Actions and Opportunities to Implement Responsible Use in DOD
(U.S. Government Accountability Office) U.S. adversaries are investing in artificial intelligence capabilities in ways that threaten global stability and U.S. national security. DOD issued an AI strategy in 2026—emphasizing speed in AI development. But DOD must do so responsibly to ensure quick and confident AI adoption on the battlefield. This Q&A discusses how DOD has taken steps to implement AI responsibly, including through department-wide collaboration. But, as we previously reported, it hasn’t defined responsibilities for AI collaboration or addressed workforce needs that affect AI adoption. Our recommendations include that Congress consider directing DOD to do this and more. Read More
AI slop responses to RFPs, RFIs are overwhelming federal agencies
(FedScoop) Inundated with AI-generated responses to industry outreach efforts, agencies are considering how to best address the growing challenge. Agencies use requests for information as a market research tool to explore possible solutions and to see what’s available in the market. Requests for proposals are another lever agencies lean on in the acquisition process to assess options and evaluate approaches. But the rise of generative AI has complicated the efforts, according to Anil Chaudhry, senior advisor for AI, autonomy and national security for the Department of Transportation. Read More
USPTO looks to AI agents to ease examiner workloads
(NextGov/FCW) Although agentic artificial intelligence systems are poised to help the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office significantly reduce the time it takes to review applications by streamlining rote tasks, a top official with the agency said the capabilities also have another added benefit — empowering skilled examiners to rely more on human-to-human interactions rather than the typical stream of impersonal correspondence. Barry Schindler, USPTO’s acting commissioner for patents, said the agency currently has a diverse staff of patent reviewers, including PhD biochemists who review relevant patent applications. Read More
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