State Dept. Tests Agentic AI: Malware Scan in 25 Mins

The State Department is testing agentic AI to help its workers. An agency official says they are using artificial intelligence agents to speed up their work. Here's the thing: they're pursuing agentic AI to sort through malware quickly. This comes as the agency's use case inventory grows. Ray Romano, a deputy assistant director, says this is an example of understanding the future. What's interesting is that agentic AI can operate without human direction and complete complex tasks. For example, an agentic AI in a test environment can sort through malware on a thumb drive in 25 minutes. This task would take a human four days. The agency is fact-checking the AI's work and not just trusting it. The bottom line: the State Department aims to buy back experts' time, not replace anyone. This approach requires strong AI governance and a culture of adoption to avoid new vulnerabilities.