The conversation around artificial intelligence in federal IT has matured significantly, moving beyond simple chatbots and basic task automation. For IT leaders with national security and large-scale operations, the next frontier is the agent enterprise. This is a fundamental shift from isolated tools to integrated systems, where autonomous agents serve to augment the human workforce. In a new podcast produced by Scoop News Group, Mia Jordan, public sector strategist at Salesforce and former CIO of the Departments of Agriculture and Education, argues that government’s current fragmented digital model is more than a nuisance. It is a structural weakness that prevents government agencies from achieving the full potential of their missions.
Much of this efficiency gap is due to what Jordan calls “rotating servants,” or people who are forced to manually bridge gaps between disconnected systems. Jordan noted that government employees often switch between applications more than 1,000 times a day, and this repetitive cycle reduces productivity and introduces human error. This friction naturally occurs when work moves from one functional area to another, leading to information being lost in handoffs or buried in informal channels such as emails, spreadsheets, and manual screenshots. This fragmentation is problematic for government agencies managing rapid response and complex procurements. Important context is often outside of formal systems of record, leaving leaders to make high-stakes decisions based on incomplete or delayed data.
Addressing this challenge requires more than simply “adding” additional AI tools. Jordan suggests that government agencies need to rethink the very structure of work and move to an environment where AI agents operate within a single, secure platform that coordinates tasks across departments. In this model, AI is a core component of an integrated work environment rather than a standalone layer. The “gateway” to this change is a shared operating layer that embeds disconnected tools into a common workflow, allowing agencies to automate routine activities such as summarizing, approving, and assigning tasks directly within their daily work flow.
Despite the obvious benefits of this evolution, federal IT leaders remain wary of modernization efforts that require costly “total replacements” of legacy systems. Jordan points to a more practical path through zero-copy data architectures, where AI can access insights across multiple systems without the risk or cost of physically moving or duplicating sensitive data. By leveraging ZeroCopy, government agencies can maintain the integrity of existing data silos while reaping the benefits of a unified enterprise. As Jordan says, “Now we’re going to blur the lines a little bit… because information and data is being shared and it’s becoming more meaningful to more people.”
At the end of the day, moving to an agentic enterprise approach is meant to reduce the friction that slows down mission execution. By transforming fragmented digital environments into coordinated platforms, agencies can ensure that data, workflows, and AI-driven support work together. This transition allows leaders to stop worrying about the mechanics of moving work from one system to another and instead focus entirely on achieving mission outcomes. As Jordan concludes, the real promise of agent companies lies in their newfound clarity. “When work is done in a unified environment, leadership is more focused on results…because the work is done in a single space.”
This interview is part of a FedScoop article Agentic AI Advantage Podcast Seriessponsored by Salesforce. Explore more expert perspectives on Agentic AI in government here.
This video podcast is produced by Scoop News Group for FedScoop and underwritten by Salesforce.
