Ensuring VA Technology Puts Veterans First

Technology is supposed to be a tool to provide better, faster service. It should never get in the way of the care and benefits veterans earned.

That’s why I introduced two bills to strengthen transparency and accountability for artificial intelligence use at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The VA Claims AI Accountability Act would:

• Ensure VA employees make all final decisions for approval of disability claims and benefits, including human review of each individual disability condition claimed;
• Require the VA to maintain and continue improving its digital disability claims processing system to make sure it is accurately and efficiently getting veterans the benefits they earned; and
• Strengthen oversight and accountability from Congress and the independent comptroller general.

The VA AI Transparency Act would require the VA to disclose to every veteran any use of AI by the VA, including in claims processing and customer service chats.

These bills will make sure technological upgrades always put veterans first at the VA.

This is just the latest in my efforts to put responsible guardrails on AI and ensure new systems are serving people. Click here to learn more about the Doctors Not AI Act I recently introduced to require qualified professionals — not computer algorithms — to determine if treatment is medically necessary.