Johns Hopkins APL’s Adams Named to Federal 100 List for Service to Nation

James Adams, a senior advisor at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, was named to the 2023 Federal 100.

For more than 30 years, Nextgov/FCW magazine has released a list of the 100 most outstanding individuals working at the intersection of government and industry technology. Adams joined a cohort GovExec noted includes “representatives from across the federal and civilian enterprise, the Pentagon, government contractors and members of Congress.”

“James has gone above and beyond to make a difference throughout his career,” said Andrew Mara, head of APL’s National Security Analysis Department. “His work has had a remarkable impact on national security.”

Adams, who joined APL in 2022, is currently focused on a framework intended to navigate national-security-related artificial intelligence (AI) and large language model challenges and opportunities.

“I think the arrival of large language models and generative AI poses a series of challenges across every industry, every international relationship, and certainly the national security community,” Adams said. “We have to confront this different world that is unfolding so quickly. Our challenge is how to serve our nation in ways that allow us to prosper in the face of our adversaries’ activities.”

Adams previously served as the chief executive officer at United Press International, created the cyber intelligence company iDefense, and started an audiobook company. He has written 18 books on intelligence and warfare and served on the National Security Agency’s Advisory Board and Technology Advisory Panel and the Central Intelligence Agency’s Strategic Advisory Group.

“When you’re in the corridors of power, learning about how it all works, it’s just fascinating,” Adams said of his career. “The opportunity to inquire and to learn in depth was such a privilege. Now I feel equally privileged to be in a position where I can use some of my experience in service to the nation.”