Making agentic government work: 7 principles for safer, smarter AI adoption

Federal agencies have spent years modernizing, but modernization has not always made work easier. Many programs added tools without improving how work actually flows. Automation grew, but often in pockets with little coordination, shared data or mission alignment.

We are now at the point where automation, machine learning and agentic orchestration can genuinely work together. This is not theory. It is already happening in defense and civilian agencies that have moved past pilots and into production, using agents that bring context, consistency and speed to complex workflows while preserving accountability.

These seven principles for an agentic government give leaders a practical framework for adopting automation and AI responsibly. They are designed to spark the right conversations and guide real operational decisions.

A few questions worth asking:

• Are our automations coordinated or scattered across silos?
• Do we know exactly where AI fits into each workflow?
• Can we explain every digital decision ...