# Federal Agencies Implement AI Governance Requirements

Federal agencies are expected to operationalize AI governance and acquisition requirements under OMB memoranda M-25-21 and M-25-22. The article argues that business units should help build AI readiness rather than wait for enterprise technology teams. For procurement, this points to greater emphasis on evidence of system performance, vendor-change notifications, data and bias transparency, human oversight, and protections against vendor lock-in; the signal identifies no specific solicitation or contract award.

- Contractors offering AI products or services should be prepared to demonstrate performance and explain how their systems handle data, bias, human oversight, and vendor changes.
- Procurement teams can involve business units in readiness work so acquisition planning reflects operational needs, not only enterprise technology considerations.
- Organizations may benefit from assessing how proposed AI solutions address vendor lock-in, a stated area of concern in the guidance.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Information Technology
**Topics:** Artificial Intelligence, Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 14, 2026

### Government Entities
- Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

### Sources
- [
        AI readiness is built, not awaited - Federal News Network](https://federalnewsnetwork.com/commentary/2026/10/ai-readiness-is-built-not-awaited) - Federal News Network