Summary4 min read

The Daily Scoop Podcast

Episode: Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia Tapped for New Leadership Roles at GSA

Date: February 20, 2026
Host: Billy Mitchell

Overview

This episode highlights major leadership changes in federal technology management, specifically focusing on Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia's expanded roles at the General Services Administration (GSA). The episode also explores an ongoing ethics dispute between the Pentagon and AI company Anthropic about the use of AI in military operations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Greg Barbaccia's New Leadership Roles at GSA

Timestamp: 00:30 – 03:10

Dual Leadership Roles:
Greg Barbaccia, the current Federal Chief Information Officer, is appointed:
- Acting Director of Technology Transformation Services (TTS)
- Senior Advisor to GSA Administrator Edward Forst
Context & Transition:
- Barbaccia replaces Thomas Shedd as TTS Director. Shedd will continue at GSA as Senior Advisor for Fraud Prevention.
- Shedd was one of the last remaining officials tied to the previous year’s Department of Government Efficiency’s cost-cutting initiative.
Shedd’s Legacy:
- Recognized for expanding core programs like login.gov and cleaning up sam.gov.
- Served on unpaid leave from Tesla since President Donald Trump’s second term began, with an unclear continuing role as Deputy Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service.
Barbaccia’s Vision:
- Applauds TTS’s modernization efforts under Shedd:
  
  "It has worked to modernize how the federal government builds and delivers digital services, making interactions with government simpler, more accessible and more efficient for the American public."
  (Barbaccia, 02:15)
- Frames his interim leadership as ensuring “continuity of leadership and a strong focus on delivering value to the taxpayer.”
GSA Administrator’s Endorsement:
- Edward Forst highlights Barbaccia’s blend of “technology strategy and hands-on execution” to accelerate the digital transformation mission.

2. Pentagon, Anthropic, and Military AI Ethics

Timestamp: 03:11 – 05:00

AI Adoption in Defense:
- The Pentagon affirms it will accelerate AI adoption—specifically “frontier AI”—while adhering strictly to laws and regulations involving surveillance, security, and democratic norms.
Limits on Tech Companies’ Control:
- The Department of Defense will not permit vendors like Anthropic to dictate operational rules for their AI models after sale.
Ethics Dispute Background:
- Anthropic is in a standoff with the DoD over how its “Claude” AI can be employed in military settings.
DoD’s Position—Quotes from Emil Michael, Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering:

"You can't have an AI company sell AI to the Department of War and then don't let it do Department of War things because we're in the business of defending the country and defending our troops." (Emil Michael, 04:00)

"If someone wants to make money from... the Department of War, those guardrails ought to be tuned for our use cases, so long as they're lawful." (Emil Michael, 04:12)

"I believe and hope that [Anthropic] will cross the Rubicon and say this is common sense. The military has certain use cases. There are laws and regulations that govern how those use cases can be done. We're willing to comply with them." (Emil Michael, 04:40)
Current Status:
- Dialogue is ongoing as the Pentagon seeks to balance procurement of AI technologies with compliance to legal and ethical standards.
- Emil Michael reports on recent updates during the Microelectronics Commons Summit, underscoring the push for practical, ethical solutions.

Notable Quotes

Barbaccia on TTS Progress (02:15):

"It has worked to modernize how the federal government builds and delivers digital services, making interactions with government simpler, more accessible and more efficient for the American public."
— Greg Barbaccia
Emil Michael on AI and Military Use (04:00):

"You can't have an AI company sell AI to the Department of War and then don't let it do Department of War things because we're in the business of defending the country and defending our troops."
— Emil Michael, Department of Defense
Emil Michael on AI Guardrails (04:12):

"If someone wants to make money from... the Department of War, those guardrails ought to be tuned for our use cases, so long as they're lawful."
— Emil Michael
Emil Michael Urging Common Sense (04:40):

"I believe and hope that [Anthropic] will cross the Rubicon and say this is common sense. The military has certain use cases. There are laws and regulations that govern how those use cases can be done. We're willing to comply with them."
— Emil Michael

Timestamps for Key Segments

00:30 – 03:10: Federal CIO Greg Barbaccia’s new roles at GSA, context on Thomas Shedd, and priorities for TTS.
03:11 – 05:00: Pentagon’s AI ethics dispute with Anthropic, statements from Emil Michael, ongoing negotiations.

Tone & Language

The episode maintains a professional, news-driven tone—direct, focused on concise updates, and punctuated by insightful quotations from government leaders.

This summary provides a comprehensive breakdown of the episode’s coverage on leadership changes at GSA and ethical questions in military AI deployment.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:02]
A
Today on the Daily Scoop podcast from the Scoop News Group, Federal CIO Greg Barbachez tapped for two new leadership roles at GSA and the CTO of the Pentagon urges Anthropic to cross the Rubicon on military AI use cases amid an ongoing ethics dispute. It's Friday, February 20, 2026. Welcome to the Daily Scoop Podcast where you'll hear the latest news and trends facing government leaders. I'm the host of the Daily Scoop Podcast, Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for joining me. And now let's dive into the day's top headlines. Federal Chief Information Officer Greg Barbace will be adding two new titles, at least temporarily, to his work in government. The General Services Administration announced Thursday that Barbache will join the agency as the acting Director of Technology Transformation Services. He'll replace Thomas Shedd, one of the few officials left at the agency who helped carry out the so called Department of Government Efficiency's cost cutting initiative last year. Shed will remain at the agency as its senior advisor for fraud prevention, which the GSA said is an area of increasing importance for the agency and the administration. Gsa, in a press release, touted Shed's leadership at tts, including his work on core program priorities such as the expansion of login.gov, and the cleanup of sam.gov the move is effective immediately, per GSA. As TTS director, Shed, who has been on an unpaid leave of absence from Elon Musk's electric vehicle company Tesla since the beginning of President Donald Trump's second term, has also served as deputy commissioner of GSA's Federal Acquisition Service, though it's unclear if he will remain in that supporting role. Barbacci applauded TTS's work under Shed, writing in a statement that it has worked to modernize how the federal government builds and delivers digital services, making interactions with government simpler, more accessible and more efficient for the American public. The federal CIO was also tapped to be a senior advisor to the GSA administrator, the agency said. In this role, advising former private equity executive Edward Forst, Barbacci will focus on emerging technologies, best practices in digital delivery and cross government collaboration. Barbaccia said his dual roles at the agency are ensuring continuity of leadership and a strong focus on delivering value to the taxpayer. Forst said in a statement that Barbaccia brings a powerful combination of technology strategy and hands on execution that will accelerate GSA's mission to transform how the federal government buys, builds and delivers digital services now. In other news, the Pentagon will adhere to existing laws and regulations associated with surveillance, security and democratic processes as it fast tracks the military's frontier AI adoption. But it won't permit companies supplying the technology to determine its rules for operation. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Emil Michael told Defense Scoop. His comments come as the Defense Department is locked in a high stakes dispute with Anthropic about the US Military's use of the startup's clawed AI model in real world operations. Michael said on Thursday, quote, we want guardrails. We need the guardrails tuned for military applications. You can't have an AI company sell AI to the Department of War and then don't let it do Department of War things because we're in the business of defending the country and defending our troops. I think if someone wants to make money from the government, from the U.S. department of War, those guardrails ought to be tuned for our use cases, so long as they're lawful. During a meeting with a small group of reporters on the sidelines of the annual Microelectronics Commons Summit Thursday, Michael provided updates on the department's Genai Mil rollout and pushed for the ethics related rift between the Pentagon and Anthropic to be resolved. He went on to say, I believe and hope that they will cross the Rubicon and say this is common sense. The military has certain use cases. There are laws and regulations that govern how those use cases can be done. We're willing to comply with them. For more news at the intersection of the federal government and technology, make sure to visit fedscoop.com thanks so much for tuning in to another episode of the Daily Scoop Podcast, available on all podcast platforms. If you've already rated the podcast on your platform of choice, thanks so much. High ratings and good reviews of the show help more people to find it. The Daily Scoop Podcast is a production of the Scoop News Group in Washington, DC. Adam Butler and Carlin Fisher help put the show together and the entire Scoop News Group team contributes. We'll be back next week with more top headlines. Until then, I'm your host Billy Mitchell. Thanks so much for listening.