U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, urges the leaders of federal departments and agencies to promote data collection and transparency around their adoption of artificial intelligence (AI).
In a series of letters to 23 department and agency heads on Friday, he emphasized the critical importance of collecting data on AI’s impacts promoting productivity and improving government outcomes, and he posed a series of questions about how agencies are making decisions that weigh the benefits and risks of the technology alongside the experiences of federal employees.
AI is having a profound impact on the workforce across both public and private sectors, often allowing workers to complete tasks more efficiently and cost-effectively. In Fiscal Year 2022, 20 of 23 federal agencies reported nearly 1,200 current and planned AI use cases. However, agencies have not been forthcoming with data on how AI has changed outcomes for federal agencies, or how data is being used to inform future decision-making.
The letter highlights several potential and actual use cases.
“Per the AI case use inventory, the utilization of artificial intelligence across federal departments and agencies has allowed the federal workforce and contractors to work efficiently and creatively – improving government operations and delivering better results for the American people. These examples include the Social Security Administration using AI to expedite determinations for disability benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs utilizing AI to capture trends and facilitate processing of veteran feedback, and the Department of Justice applying AI to accurately identify and process threat tips,” Warner wrote
In the letter, Warner stressed the urgent need for departments and agencies to release data on their AI adoption, so they can implement best practices and work to deliver better results for Americans. He also asks how feedback from federal employees and contractors is being considered to make decisions that best support both workers and outcomes.
“While government-sourced, publicly-available information provides sector or task-specific summaries of how the aforementioned federal departments and agencies are adopting artificial intelligence, I am concerned about the limitations of this information with respect to the broader adoption at scale of AI in the federal government, including the need for measurable data and conclusive assessments on how individual AI use cases are enhancing the missions of federal departments and agencies,” Warner continued. “Establishing data collection standards that track the progress of AI’s adoption in the federal government will help better understand the state of integration, assess its effectiveness, implications, and appropriate usages, and guide the direction of future adoption plans.”
Warner sent the letter to the following federal departments and agencies: The Departments of: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, State, Interior, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, and the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration, NASA, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the National Science Foundation, the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Warner, a former tech entrepreneur, has been a longtime leader on AI-related issues, particularly within the federal government. He led bipartisan legislation to help the federal government mitigate risks associated with AI while still being able to benefit from this emerging technology.
In May 2024, Warner introduced bipartisan legislation to improve the tracking and processing of security and safety incidents and risks associated with AI, including through improving information sharing between the federal government and private companies. He also has repeatedly pushed on companies to keep their promises to promote security and safety throughout the rollout of novel AI technologies.
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Rebecca Barnabi
