Presented by Qanapi & Carahsoft
Trent Telford, CEO of Qanapi, described at the Google Public Sector Summit how the explosion of AI has made trusted data the most critical foundation for innovation in government.
“AI amplifies everything,” he said. “There’s an old saying in tech—garbage in, garbage out. AI just aggregates that garbage exponentially.”
He noted that with billions being invested in artificial intelligence, agencies must ensure the data feeding those systems is authentic, secure, and verifiable. “Data comes from everywhere—sensors on the battlefield, medical devices, legacy databases,” Telford said. “The question is, how do you know it’s trusted?”
This methodology not only prevents bad actors from injecting false information but also mitigates the risk of AI “hallucinations.” “It doesn’t stop someone from entering incorrect data,” he said, “but it dramatically reduces the risk of manipulation—whether accidental or adversarial.”
Telford pointed out that this kind of transparency is especially vital for mission-critical systems. “In defense or healthcare, bad data can cost lives,” he said. “Provenance builds confidence that the output of AI is something you can act on.”
He acknowledged that retrofitting existing systems is a major challenge. “You can’t just rip and replace decades of legacy infrastructure,” he said. “You might have IBM mainframes talking to modern cloud apps and IoT sensors.”
Qanapi’s solution is an API-first approach that connects diverse data sources—old and new—without disrupting operations. “Whatever the language or system, APIs make integration possible,” he said. “It’s about connecting, validating, and securing data at the source.”
To demonstrate value, Telford encouraged agencies to start small. “Pick a project, put guardrails around it, and show it works,” he said. “Encrypt data from multiple sources, process it through your AI model, and visualize the provenance. Once people see it’s possible, you can scale.”
He added that trust in data is not only technical—it’s also about accountability. “When leaders can show a verifiable record of data lineage, they can justify decisions with confidence,” he said. “That’s how you build trust with the public and oversight bodies.”
Key Takeaways
Trusted data is the foundation of reliable AI and mission success.
A cryptographic chain of provenance proves the integrity of data and prevents manipulation.
Agencies should start small, demonstrate secure integration, and scale success through API-first design.