Operational AI: A new model for government

Federal agencies do not lack momentum when it comes to artificial intelligence. With hundreds of use cases identified or underway, one of their biggest challenges is translating that momentum into systems that are secure, compliant and ready for daily mission use.

AI programs frequently stall not because the technology fails, but because the surrounding environment is not built to properly support it. Fragmented systems, stringent data security requirements, lengthy procurement cycles and a lack of scalable AI infrastructure can hinder progress.

“As federal leaders consider deploying AI for various applications, our advice is to prioritize capabilities that can be tailored to the unique needs of each mission problem or use case to help ensure the outcome adds value,” said Ed Van Buren, strategic growth leader for AI at Deloitte.

In an increasingly crowded AI market, it is equally important for agencies to evaluate technologies before committing to long-term investments. That includes the ability to view demonstrations and test capabilities, such as building prototypes, to better understand how tools perform in real-world environments.

“Targeting a solution that provides flexible ecosystem integration can help agencies keep pace with the rapidly evolving technology landscape,” Van Buren said.

To address those realities head on, industry leaders Deloitte, Dell Technologies, NVIDIA and Equinix developed Silicon to Service, or S2S, bringing together Deloitte’s mission experience with Dell Technologies infrastructure, NVIDIA AI acceleration and secure hosting through Equinix to help agencies launch wide-ranging deployments with confidence.

Accelerating timelines while meeting compliance demands

Speed remains a critical factor for agencies facing workforce constraints and growing mission demands. Traditional approaches to AI adoption often require years of integration and approval before capabilities are operational.

S2S shortens that timeline by offering a secure, pre-built environment and ready-to-use AI accelerators that eliminate lengthy setup and acquisition processes. For agencies just beginning to implement AI, S2S enables faster movement from concept to execution. For organizations already running pilots, it standardizes and scales those efforts into repeatable, production-ready patterns, allowing mission use cases to roll out in weeks rather than years.

“It’s a turnkey foundation for rapid prototyping, smooth data integration and operational deployment significantly faster than building out solutions from scratch,” Van Buren said.

Compliance and risk management are embedded into that acceleration. S2S is engineered to align with federal security, data governance and regulatory requirements from the outset. Data is hosted in secure Equinix facilities with full isolation and traceability, while agencies maintain control over sensitive information, including auditability, access management and data deletion verification.

“This alignment enables agencies to deploy advanced AI without compromising regulatory standards or exposing mission-critical data,” Van Buren said.

Ramping up AI from sandbox to mission impact

S2S is built on the Dell Technologies-NVIDIA technology stack, which provides the compute performance needed to support AI workloads at scale, whether deployed on-premises or in hybrid environments.

“With the combined power of Dell’s infrastructure and NVIDIA graphics processing units (GPUs), the stack supplies immense computational power, designed for AI and high-performance computing,” said Chris Thomas, AI Technical Director at Dell Technologies. “S2S empowers federal agencies to tackle their most critical priorities by providing AI solutions that address their unique challenges. By shortening development cycles from 12-18 months to just 6-9 months, serving as the ‘easy button’ for proving ground and testing, and offering unparalleled flexibility, S2S enables agencies to innovate faster and more effectively.”

On top of that foundation, Deloitte AI accelerators — preconfigured tools designed for specific government use cases — support capabilities such as advanced imagery analysis, automated document processing and intuitive self-service AI.

“Each accelerator is meticulously tailored to meet the specific needs of each agency, driving efficiency, innovation and mission success,” Van Buren said, noting that the setup gives agencies the flexibility to experiment in sandbox environments before moving into enterprise production.

The managed services model also reshapes how agencies define efficiency. Rather than building and maintaining bespoke systems, agencies gain access to secure environments, subject matter specialist support and out-of-the-box capabilities that reduce administrative overhead and allow teams to focus on mission outcomes.

Looking ahead, Van Buren sees this collaborative model as a catalyst for broader AI modernization.

“Transformative collaborations give federal agencies fast-track access to enterprise-grade AI, letting them move beyond incremental progress to rapid modernization and create scalable pathways for new technology adoption,” he said. “As a result, agencies can strategically experiment with, validate and roll out mission-enabling AI at the pace of federal priorities.”

Learn more about how S2S can help your agency safely and efficiently integrate AI.