AI in August (2025)
Written by Emily Wolfteich
Senior Industry Analyst
1. GSA launches new AI platform for federal agencies.
The General Services Administration (GSA) unveiled USAi.Gov, a new centralized and secure platform for federal agencies to explore and adopt generative AI tools. This initiative is a direct response to the Trump administration's "America's AI Action Plan" and is intended to accelerate government-wide AI adoption. The platform will enable agencies to test and evaluate various AI products, such as chatbots and large language models, in a secure environment before making procurement decisions.
2. Pentagon AI data platform faces setbacks amid personnel reductions.
The Pentagon's crucial AI-data platform, Advana, is facing “crippling” setbacks due to recent personnel cuts, according to current and former defense officials. Advana is a core component of the Department of Defense's AI plans, designed to centralize data for everything from logistics to finance and battlefield readiness. The reductions have reportedly hindered the platform's development and could push the Pentagon back toward a fragmented system of data and information exchange.
3. The Army explores AI for vehicle maintenance with smart glasses.
The U.S. Army is exploring the use of AI-powered smart glasses and large language models (LLMs) to assist soldiers with vehicle maintenance and repair. The service's chief technology officer, Alex Miller, says that the Army is training an LLM with hundreds of hours of maintenance video footage to create a visual guide that soldiers can use directly on the battlefield. This is a step toward making AI tools smaller, more rugged, and closer to the edge for the military's most dangerous missions.
4. Department of Labor unveils AI workforce strategy.
The Departments of Labor, Commerce, and Education jointly released a national talent strategy aimed at preparing the U.S. workforce for an AI-centric economy. The plan focuses on upskilling the existing workforce, establishing an "AI Workforce Research Hub," and expanding training grants to flexibly respond to the needs of employers and employees. The initiative's goal is to ensure that workers across all sectors have the foundational AI literacy and skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing labor market.
5. Colorado lawmakers revisit nation's first comprehensive AI law.
Colorado legislators returned for a special session in August to debate changes to the state's first-in-the-nation AI Act, passed in 2024 to prevent algorithmic discrimination in areas like hiring and housing. The original law, slated to take effect in February 2026, has faced pushback from industries concerned about compliance costs. In the special session, lawmakers offered a new bill that would narrow the law and shift some of the regulatory burden from companies that deploy AI to the developers who create it.
To read additional thought leadership from Emily, connect with her on LinkedIn.
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