The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2023 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 16.
Next is Artificial Intelligence Executive of the Year finalist in the Public Company category John Larson, who leads Booz Allen’s artificial intelligence practice. Here, he shares proud organizational moments and shaping the next generation of leaders.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
In my time since joining Booz Allen, I’ve brought more than 25 years of government and commercial machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) experience to lead Booz Allen to become the leading provider of AI services and a trusted partner on the most critical AI missions.
Today, we have a world-class AI framework that systematically harvests learnings and deploys them into reusable frameworks called AI Stacks to bring reliable, repeatable, secure, and responsible commercial-grade AI to missions at scale.
Central to this success is our talent. I’m particularly proud of my work fostering a culture of collaboration and empowerment that underpins everything we do. One of my favorite quotes is from Steve Jobs who said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”
I think this quote summarizes my management style. I encourage diversity of thought and work to provide an environment where everyone feels they have the agency to present new ideas and challenge perspectives. This allows us to see things from different angles and develop the best solutions for our clients’ most challenging problems.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
Educating future generations of leaders is imperative to ensure our nation is ready for the challenges we’ll face in the long term. Because of this, I’m on a mission to educate, and I’ve taken a multi-pronged approach while doing so.
A few examples: I led Booz Allen’s engagement to inform the National Institute of Standards and Technology AI Risk Management Framework which provides guidelines for the responsible development of AI. I also led our team’s efforts with Congressional Members and staff to provide AI technology briefings so they’re more prepared for what’s ahead. And just this year, I led the launch of a firmwide AI Ready training program to equip Booz Allen staff with the capabilities needed to help our government clients adopt and integrate AI responsibly.
Finally, I serve as Booz Allen’s executive sponsor for the AI Education project. Through this partnership, we provide underserved children and educators with the knowledge and tools they’ll need to work and thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world. We also host the Mark Cuban AI Bootcamp, providing underserved high school students with the basics of AI at no cost.