Top 10 AI Events for Government in 2026 

By Mike Adams |

January 12, 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI) has evolved from experimental technology into a mission-critical capability for Government agencies at all levels. From enhancing cybersecurity operations and streamlining citizen services to enabling predictive analytics and advancing national security objectives, AI is fundamentally reshaping how the Public Sector delivers on its mission. As agencies accelerate AI adoption, understanding the latest developments, best practices and ethical frameworks is essential. Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, brings deep expertise in AI solutions for the Public Sector, connecting agencies with leading technology providers and proven implementation strategies. Throughout 2026, Carahsoft and our partners will participate in premier AI events designed to help Government professionals navigate the complexities of AI adoption, explore cutting-edge solutions and connect with experts shaping the future of AI. 

Meet the Chiefs: Chief Artificial Intelligence 

February 12, 2026 | Washington, D.C. | In-Person Event 

During this Meet the Chiefs discussion, NextGov/FCW will examine how Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers (CAIOs) are putting national AI priorities into action across Government agencies. Speakers will explore how recent policies are shaping governance models, workforce strategies and industry collaboration as AI becomes more deeply embedded in Government operations. The conversation will address the critical balance between innovation and risk management, examining the infrastructure needed to support AI at scale and the trust-building efforts essential for successful AI adoption. Attendees will gain insights into how agencies are translating high-level AI directives into operational reality, with particular focus on data and compute infrastructure requirements for AI at scale. 

Session to look out for: 

  • Laying the Groundwork: Data and Compute Infrastructure for AI at Scale 

Carahsoft partner Oracle is the exclusive underwriter for this event, demonstrating the critical role that enterprise AI infrastructure plays in enabling Government AI initiatives. Oracle provides the foundational data platforms, cloud infrastructure and AI services that empower Federal agencies to deploy AI at scale while maintaining security, compliance and data sovereignty. Carahsoft’s partnership with Oracle ensures Government agencies have streamlined access to the enterprise AI capabilities discussed at this event, from autonomous databases that power AI workloads to sovereign AI infrastructure designed specifically for Public Sector requirements. 

2026 Defense IT Summit 

February 26, 2026 | Arlington, VA | In-Person Event 

The Defense IT Summit brings together senior IT leaders to examine how emerging technologies and strategies are advancing mission readiness across the Department of War (DoW). Senior officials will highlight defense priorities in AI, acquisition, cybersecurity and risk management, with particular focus on accelerating technology delivery at the speed of mission. The summit addresses the critical challenge of translating AI innovation into operational capability, exploring how the DoW is transforming acquisition processes, integrating AI into warfighting systems and building the infrastructure needed to support AI-enabled decision-making.  

Session to look out for: 

  • AI Transforming Future Warfighting and The Future of Defense Acquisition 

Carahsoft is a proud partner of GovCIO and is excited to support their 2026 Defense IT Summit, bringing together our extensive portfolio of AI and defense IT solutions tailored to DoW requirements. Our partnership with GovCIO enables us to showcase how leading AI providers are addressing the unique challenges of defense IT modernization, from secure AI development environments to edge AI capabilities for tactical operations. Carahsoft’s presence at this summit ensures defense IT leaders have direct access to the solution providers who understand DoW’s specific security requirements, acquisition processes and the urgency of deploying AI capabilities that enhance warfighter advantage. 

Google Public Sector Applied Government Geo & AI Summit 

February 24, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

The Applied Government Geo & AI Summit brings together Government leaders, technologists and innovators to explore how AI, geospatial data and advanced engineering tools are reshaping Public Sector operations. Hosted by Woolpert Digital Innovations, Google Public Sector and Carahsoft, this summit examines the powerful convergence of AI and geospatial intelligence, from automated image analysis and change detection to predictive modeling for infrastructure planning and emergency response. Attendees will learn how agencies are utilizing AI-powered geospatial capabilities to enhance various aspects, including defense operations, border security, urban planning and environmental monitoring. 

Session to look out for: 

  • AI and Geospatial Data Transformations and AI in Defense, Infrastructure, and Data Management 

Carahsoft is proud to co-host this event alongside Google Public Sector and Woolpert Digital Innovations, demonstrating our commitment to advancing the intersection of AI and geospatial technologies for Government missions. As a leading distributor of Google Cloud solutions to the Public Sector, Carahsoft ensures agencies can access the powerful combination of Google’s AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities with advanced geospatial analytics platforms.  

Warfighter AI Innovation Summit 

March 12, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

The Warfighter AI Innovation Summit focuses on cutting-edge AI technologies that enhance forward-deployed warfighter capabilities. This specialized event brings together warfighters with senior leaders, innovators and industry experts, focusing on data fusion, sensors and creating subject matter expert applications across forward-deployed use cases. Designed to foster collaboration across Government, military and industry, this summit equips participants with actionable insights to accelerate AI adoption and translate innovation into operational impact. Sessions will explore AI success on the front lines and how to use AI to achieve operational advantage and battlefield dominance, addressing the unique challenges of deploying AI in contested, disconnected environments. 

Session to look out for: 

  • AI Success on the Front Line and Using AI to Achieve Operational Advantage and Battlefield Dominance 

Carahsoft is a proud partner of Federal AI Accelerator.  Our partnership enables us to connect warfighters and defense decision-makers with specialized AI technologies designed for tactical edge operations, from computer vision for threat detection to AI-powered Command and Control (C2) systems. Carahsoft understands that successful warfighter AI requires not just cutting-edge algorithms, but solutions engineered for the reliability, speed and security demands of combat operations, along with acquisition pathways that can deliver these capabilities at the pace of operational need. 

NVIDIA GTC 2026 

March 16-19, 2026 | San Jose, CA | Hybrid Event 

NVIDIA GTC is the premier global AI conference, where developers, researchers and business leaders come together to explore the next wave of AI innovation. From physical AI and AI factories to agentic AI and inference, GTC 2026 will showcase the breakthroughs shaping every industry, including Government and defense. The conference takes place across venues throughout downtown San Jose, featuring hundreds of technical sessions exploring everything from AI infrastructure and accelerated computing to real-world AI deployments. Government attendees will discover how agencies worldwide are leveraging NVIDIA’s AI platforms to power everything from scientific research and weather prediction to autonomous systems and intelligence analysis. 

Sessions to look out for: 

  • AI Talks and Panels 
  • Jensen Huang’s Keynote Address 
  • Developer Days and Hackathons 

Carahsoft is the exclusive host of the Public Sector Reception at GTC on Tuesday, March 17 (tentative), providing Government attendees with a dedicated networking venue designed specifically for Public Sector professionals to connect with peers and solution providers focused on Government AI challenges. Carahsoft is also an exhibitor sponsor of NVIDIA GTC 2026. We encourage you to stop by our booth to learn about AI capabilities within Government and discover how our partnership ecosystem is supporting agencies with NVIDIA-powered solutions.  

2026 Artificial Intelligence Summit 

March 19, 2026 | Location To Be Announced | In-Person Event 

According to AI experts, we are currently experiencing the largest and fastest-moving surge of AI development in history, with more progress occurring in days and months than was achieved over decades in previous AI waves. This sixth annual AI Summit from Potomac Officers Club brings together top voices from Federal agencies, DoW components and the Government contracting industry to discuss strategies, plans and exciting use cases for how AI, ML and automation are transforming Government operations. The age of AI being merely theoretical is over. This summit features real practitioners sharing how they are deploying AI at scale. Don’t miss keynote speaker Jay Meil, the VP of Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics and Chief Data Scientist at SAIC, along with other senior Government and industry AI leaders. 

Carahsoft was proud to be a gold sponsor of the 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit, along with our partners EmpowerAI, PrimerOracleCoursera and Percipient.AI and we look forward to continuing our support of this premier Government AI gathering in 2026. Carahsoft is committed to ensuring that Government decision-makers have direct access to the comprehensive AI solutions portfolio that Carahsoft brings to market, from AI development platforms and MLOps tools to AI governance frameworks and specialized AI applications designed for Public Sector missions. 

AITALKS 2026 

April 14, 2026 | Washington, D.C. | In-Person Event 

With the mainstream arrival of large-language, generative AI models, AI has emerged as a top priority for driving economic prosperity and boosting Government efficiency and mission effectiveness. AITalks is where top Government leaders, tech innovators and industry experts converge to explore the transformative potential of AI in the Public Sector, particularly as new priorities establish the nation’s AI vision and direction. With AI set to revolutionize Government operations, the nation is at a critical juncture where it is competing to set the tone for global AI leadership.  

Session to look out for: 

  • Going All In on AI-Powered Government and Advancing AI on the Frontlines 

Carahsoft partner Microsoft is a Diamond sponsor at the 2026 AITALKS, reflecting Microsoft’s leadership position in enterprise AI and their commitment to helping Government harness AI capabilities through Azure AI, Microsoft 365 Copilot and industry-specific AI solutions. Previous AITALKS sponsors have included SalesforceAWSElasticBroadcomCloudflare, IBMRed HatSeekr and Nutanix/Pryon, a roster that demonstrates the breadth of Carahsoft’s AI partner ecosystem. As a key partner to many of these leading AI providers, Carahsoft ensures Government attendees can explore the full range of AI solutions available through our contracts, from foundational AI infrastructure to specialized applications addressing specific Public Sector use cases. 

SANS AI Cybersecurity Summit 2026 

April 20-27, 2026 | Arlington, VA | Hybrid Event 

The AI Cybersecurity Summit brings together the most critical aspects of AI in cybersecurity, from leveraging AI to strengthen defenses to protecting against sophisticated AI-powered attacks that are already reshaping the threat landscape. This unique event addresses both offensive and defensive dimensions of AI in cybersecurity, exploring how agencies can use AI to enhance threat detection, automate incident response and improve security operations while simultaneously defending against adversaries who are weaponizing AI for attacks. Attendees will connect with cybersecurity professionals, AI/ML experts and thought leaders to exchange insights and advance AI-powered cybersecurity solutions.  

Session to look out for: 

  • AI Governance and Risk, Offensive AI Adversary Tradecraft, and Protecting AI Architectures 

Carahsoft partner Microsoft is a sponsor of this critical event in the AI and cybersecurity space, bringing its extensive experience in AI security through Microsoft Defender, Azure AI security capabilities and its responsible AI frameworks. The convergence of AI and cybersecurity represents one of the most pressing challenges facing Government agencies today. Organizations must simultaneously adopt AI to enhance their security posture while defending their own AI systems from attack and ensuring AI is deployed responsibly. Carahsoft’s partnership with Microsoft and other leading cybersecurity and AI providers positions us to guide agencies through this complex landscape, offering integrated solutions that address both AI-enhanced security operations and the security of AI systems themselves. 

GEOINT 2026 

May 3-6, 2026 | Aurora, CO | In-Person Event 

Explore the intersection of technology and security as the geospatial intelligence community (IC) addresses challenges and opportunities in today’s complex geopolitical landscape. From land to sea and cyberspace to outer space, GEOINT’s impact is felt across every dimension and domain. Attendees will engage with industry experts, Government leaders and innovators to discover how geospatial intelligence is shaping a safer world for tomorrow. With AI and ML now central to modern GEOINT capabilities, this year’s symposium places special emphasis on GeoAI, spotlighting current innovations and future opportunities in AI and ML applied to geospatial data, from automated change detection and object recognition to predictive analytics for strategic planning. 

Carahsoft is a proud annual sponsor of the GEOINT Symposium and will have a large presence on the tradeshow floor, ensuring maximum visibility throughout this premier geospatial intelligence event. This year, we have also partnered with NVIDIA to host the exhibit hall Scaling AI Stage, a dedicated venue for exploring how Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)-accelerated computing and AI platforms are transforming geospatial intelligence processing, enabling real-time analysis of massive imagery datasets and sophisticated AI models for intelligence applications.  

AI for Government Summit 

May 19, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

Carahsoft is excited to announce our 3rd Annual Artificial Intelligence for Government Summit. Join Federal, State and Local Government leaders, practitioners and industry experts to explore how AI is transforming missions, services and infrastructure across the Public Sector. From copilots that streamline daily workflows to advanced cybersecurity, responsible AI frameworks and next-generation data strategies, this summit shows practical solutions aligned with the latest administrative orders and policy guidance. Attendees will gain insights from Government decision-makers, engage with hands-on training from leading AI companies and leave with actionable strategies to accelerate innovation while building trust and security in AI adoption.  

Session to look out for: 

  • Advanced Reasoning in the Age of Agentic AI and Innovation and Workforce in the AI Era 

Carahsoft is the proud host of the AI for Government Summit, our flagship AI event designed specifically for the unique needs and challenges of Public Sector AI adoption. This year’s sponsors include AWSBroadcomDellIntelNVIDIAOpenAIPalo Alto NetworksSalesforce and many others. As both the host and convener of this summit, Carahsoft curates an agenda that directly addresses the most pressing questions facing Government AI practitioners: how to move from pilot to production, how to ensure responsible and ethical AI deployment, how to build the data infrastructure and workforce capabilities needed for AI success and how to navigate the complex landscape of AI regulations and policies while maintaining the agility to innovate at mission speed. 

Federal AI Forum 

August 13, 2026 | Reston, VA | In-Person Event 

The Federal AI Forum dives into the next frontier of AI: agentic AI. Experts from across Government, academia and industry will discuss how autonomous agents and copilots are reshaping workflows and policy in the Public Sector. This forum offers a forward-looking conversation about critical issues in responsible adoption, architecture and practical implementation of agentic AI systems in Federal missions. As AI systems evolve from tools that assist human decision-making to autonomous agents capable of multi-step reasoning and independent action, Government agencies face new questions about governance, accountability and security.  

Session to look out for:  

  • Agentic AI Use Cases and Data Security and Accountability 

Carahsoft is proud to be the Anchor Sponsor of the 2026 Federal AI Forum, to help Government agencies navigate the emerging landscape of agentic AI and autonomous systems. This year’s sponsors include BoxServiceNowGranicusSeekrLatent AIStryk.AI and others, partners who are pioneering the development of agentic AI capabilities specifically designed for Government use cases. 

As AI continues to mature from emerging technology into essential infrastructure, Government agencies face both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges. The events highlighted above represent the best venues for Government professionals to gain practical knowledge, connect with proven solution providers and learn from peers who have successfully navigated AI implementation. Whether you are just beginning to explore AI capabilities or seeking to optimize existing initiatives, these gatherings provide invaluable insights, hands-on experience and strategic guidance from the leaders shaping AI’s future in Government. 

Connect with Carahsoft’s AI experts who understand Government requirements, compliance frameworks and proven implementation strategies. Whether you are attending one of these events or planning your AI roadmap, we are here to help.  

Contact us at AITeam@carahsoft.com to discuss your specific AI challenges, schedule a demo or coordinate meetings at upcoming events.  

Explore our AI solutions portfolio to see how we’re helping agencies like yours harness the power of AI to achieve mission success. 


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