The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released its list of AI usage for the year 2024, reporting an increase of approximately 66% in AI application cases compared to last year.
Steven Posnack, the Chief Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy and Chief Deputy National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at HHS, emphasized in the accompanying notes that the department's AI usage cases have grown from 163 to 271, noting that these cases are at various stages of development. The new figures include applications in operations maintenance, procurement, and development, as well as 16 cases that have been discontinued.
The release of this list has garnered significant attention as federal agencies are expected to announce new and expanded AI usage cases for 2024. Under an executive order from the Trump administration, agencies were required for the first time to publish annual and public lists of AI usage cases. However, researchers from Stanford University, reports from FedScoop, and reviews by government oversight bodies have found that these reports have been inconsistent and, in some cases, incorrect.
Image Source Note: Image generated by AI, image licensed from Midjourney
Due to a memorandum issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that provided additional clarification on existing processes, this year's list is expected to be more detailed than in previous years.
In addition to HHS, at least the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have also released their lists for 2024. These agencies reported more usage cases than last year in the summary table released by the White House in October 2023.
Artificial intelligence has been a focal point for President Joe Biden. Last year, Biden issued an executive order aimed at the safe and reliable use of the technology. This effort extends into the list compilation process by introducing specific risk management measures for AI usage cases that may affect the rights and safety of Americans.
According to the OMB memorandum, all AI that impacts rights or safety must comply with specific risk management measures, such as risk assessment and data quality, by December 1. If they do not comply and the agency does not obtain a one-year extension approval, those applications must be halted.
Agencies are also required to disclose in their lists whether usage cases impact rights or safety. For example, HHS listed two cases affecting rights and two affecting safety. The two cases affecting rights from the Health Resources and Services Administration involve tools that support the assessment of medical student scholarship applications. Both of these cases are in the "launch" phase.
Meanwhile, the two cases affecting safety focus on data related to family separation and children leaving the care of refugee resettlement offices. Both cases are managed by the Administration for Children and Families and are in the procurement and/or development phase.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported a case that affects both rights and safety. This case involves the deployment of Google Translate on its public-facing website to provide information in other languages and is currently in the operations and maintenance phase.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comments regarding the findings and expectations for this year's list.
In summary, the application of AI across U.S. government departments is rapidly growing but also faces numerous challenges, such as ensuring the safety, accuracy, and compliance of AI, all of which require serious attention from government agencies in future developments.