USDA is using AI — but doesn’t have required controls to manage risks, watchdog finds
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ByNatalie Alms,
Senior Correspondent, Nextgov/FCW
May 19, 2026 04:25 PM ET
The Agriculture inspector general noted the agency has prioritized making use of the technology over setting up controls.
The Agriculture Department is using artificial intelligence to identify risks in the supply chain, estimate yearly corn and soybean yields and make recommendations during the permitting process.
But the department doesn’t have all of the required cybersecurity and governance controls to keep that technology in check, according to an inspector general report released last week, which found that Agriculture doesn’t even have a generative AI policy at all.
The department hasn’t fully implemented cyber and risk controls in its AI systems, as required by federal standards, because it has prioritized using AI over setting up controls for the technology. The Trump administration has sought to aggressively roll out AI across the government, in addition...
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