GSA Administrator Pushes AI Adoption, Unified Login Portal

Federal tech chief outlines modernization priorities

The General Services Administration is accelerating efforts to deploy artificial intelligence across government operations and expand Login.gov into a unified access portal for federal services, according to Administrator Edward Forst.

Speaking at the IBM Think Gov 2026 conference in Washington, D.C., Forst described the agency's modernization strategy as fundamentally about closing the gap with private sector capabilities. He characterized the approach as pursuing "instant gratification" through early wins rather than lengthy transformation programs.

"We have stricken — although not to perfection yet — the word 'monetization' from our vocabulary," Forst said. "I view it in our context as just catching up to yesterday."

Why it matters

GSA's dual push on AI and unified digital identity reflects mounting pressure on federal agencies to deliver consumer-grade experiences while managing risk. The agency's success—or failure—in these early deployments will likely determine how quickly other departments can adopt similar technologies. For technology vendors, Forst's emphasis on industry partnership signals procurement opportunities but also expectations for rapid, measurable results.

Expanding Login.gov as single gateway

One concrete priority involves building upon the existing Login.gov authentication platform to create a single entry point for citizens accessing government services. Forst said this unified approach "is going to be so good for the American citizen to be able to find one way into all the stuff we do."

The administrator acknowledged the Trump administration's outcome-driven expectations and said achieving modernization goals requires industry collaboration. He warned that stumbling in early procurement and deployment efforts could undermine broader transformation plans.

AI deployment balanced against public accountability

Jennifer Rostami, assistant commissioner of GSA's Technology Transformation Services, outlined the tension agencies face when adopting AI. Government has a responsibility to avoid introducing systems that could harm citizens through errors, she explained, which makes innovation "inherently a bit slow."

Despite this caution, Rostami said agencies are actively experimenting with AI, and Forst believes GSA is "at the doorstep" of meaningful deployment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs offered a concrete example. Deputy Director Richelle Gibson said the agency is using AI automation for repetitive tasks including health benefits processing, reducing decision times on routine matters to hours rather than weeks or months.

"That's a massively different experience for veterans," Gibson said.

Workforce concerns remain barrier

Gibson identified employee hesitancy as a significant obstacle to AI adoption, particularly fears that automation will eliminate jobs. She emphasized that building trust requires understanding worker concerns about the technology.

"Don't forget the people," Gibson said, "even though we're dealing with technology, because their use of the technology is what determines if it's successful or not."

Forst positioned himself as open to engagement with stakeholders across government and industry, noting he reports to "every congressman, senator" as well as White House leadership. He said GSA needs partners willing to work through the inevitable challenges of accelerating federal procurement and technology deployment.

These details were first reported by FedScoop.