Getting to Know the FOIA Advisory Committee: Nicholas Wittenberg

Today we present an interview with Nicholas Wittenberg, Corporate Counsel and Senior Advisor for Legal Technology and Innovation at Armedia and a member of the 2024-2026 FOIA Advisory Committee. This is part of a series of posts on the Committee, whose members are FOIA experts from inside and outside of government and who are appointed by the Archivist of the United States.

Why did you wish to serve on the FOIA Advisory Committee?

Having worked extensively in FOIA, transparency, and artificial intelligence (AI) at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, I've seen the transformative potential of using technology to enhance government transparency. Serving on the FOIA Advisory Committee allows me to contribute to advancing FOIA processes, especially through the integration of AI to make them more efficient and accurate. I'm passionate about using my experience to help shape the future of FOIA, ensuring it evolves alongside modern technological capabilities and continues to serve the public effectively.

How do you think this experience will help you in your work?

This experience will directly inform my current role as Corporate Counsel and Senior Advisor for Legal Technology and Innovation at Armedia. Collaborating with other FOIA professionals will provide valuable insights into how agencies are addressing the challenges of records management and public access in today's digital age. I'm particularly interested in how we can leverage AI and automation in FOIA processes-an area I've focused on extensively in my career-to improve both speed and accuracy in responding to requests.

What is FOIA's biggest challenge?

One of FOIA's biggest challenges is modernizing systems to efficiently handle the increasing volume and complexity of government data. Agencies are often constrained by legacy systems, limited resources, and the growing demand for timely responses. Moving data down Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and Congress can be an information-sharing challenge. Integrating artificial intelligence into the FOIA process presents an exciting opportunity to address these challenges by automating parts of the review process, enhancing accuracy in identifying responsive records, and reducing the time needed to process requests. The key is ensuring that AI is implemented thoughtfully, with appropriate safeguards in place to uphold privacy, security, and transparency.

Tell us about your favorite FOIA moment.

There have been many meaningful moments throughout my FOIA career, but my favorite is being selected to serve on this FOIA Advisory Committee. It's an incredible opportunity to work alongside talented colleagues from across the federal family to develop solutions that make the FOIA process more efficient. Seeing firsthand how we have been able to reduce review times while upholding the integrity of the process has been incredibly rewarding. These experiences reaffirm my conviction that innovation can significantly enhance transparency and make government more accessible to everyone. In our democratic experience, it is important that we aim to move the technology needle allowing for free-flowing discussions where challenges are identified, pros and cons are measured, ethical implications are debated, all to push for meaningful solutions that can address today's challenges. The constant distilling of technological progress helps in the improved delivery of services to citizens and operations for the nation.