U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, urged 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, 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 almost 1,200 current and planned AI use cases. However, agencies haven’t 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 of these potential and actual use cases, saying, “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.”

In the letter, Sen. 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 the American people. It 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,” Sen. 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.”

Sens. 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.   

Sen. Warner, a former tech entrepreneur and Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, 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, he 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.

A copy of the letter is available here and below:

I write to you today regarding your agency’s utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) systems and enabled technologies and request information on your department or agency’s use of those systems and technologies. I request sufficient information to understand the purposes to which your department or agency uses those systems, the analyses of the possible and actual uses of AI applications by your department or agency, and the metrics by which your department or agency evaluates the use of those systems, including by federal workers and contractors.

In a world where we are still working to understand the full capabilities and impact of advancements in artificial intelligence, it is critical that the federal government lead in data collection and evidence-based decision-making in the adoption of these technologies. In that same vein, the adoption of AI tools by the federal government should be based on measurable outcomes, such as productivity gains.

The use of artificial intelligence across various occupations and industries is transforming the labor market and impacting the global economy broadly. More specifically, the application of AI in the workforce has yielded promising results, including the potential for increased worker productivity. In many instances, artificial intelligence has allowed for tasks to be completed faster and more efficiently, allowing workers to focus on high-value responsibilities and expanding their range of work.

The private sector, particularly innovative artificial intelligence companies and the businesses that use their products, are leading the charge in measuring and providing real-time dynamic data on the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on their workforce and worker productivity. This data includes, but is not limited to, specific measurements on how AI has led to time-saved on specific tasks, production volume, improving error rates, and customer satisfaction. These metrics and subsequent analyses are useful in evaluating the impact and value of artificial intelligence.

As of the 118^th Congress, the federal government employs over 2 million individuals, with the Commonwealth of Virginia holding the third-largest constituency of federal civilian employees. For FY2024, the federal government executed over 104 million contracts, similarly employing, directly and indirectly, individuals to carry out the missions of federal departments and agencies. These public servants perform essential work for our country, and as detailed below, some of their work is complemented by and supplemented through the integration of artificial intelligence systems and technologies.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) demonstrated that in FY2022, twenty of 23 agencies reported about 1,200 current and planned artificial intelligence 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. The use case inventory applies the definition of artificial intelligence as provided in Section 238(g) of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.

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. 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.

As such, I respectfully request that you respond to this letter with detailed answers to the following questions by January 17, 2025: 

• Does your department or agency utilize AI?
  • If yes, please provide a high-level summary of the utilization of AI, including uses by administrative or operational units of your department or agency.
  • If no, please detail how your department or agency reached the decision to not utilize AI.
• How does your department or agency identify uses cases, needs, or other instances in which it deems the use of AI to be appropriate? Please describe in detail the decision-making process that your department or agency has, does, or plans to undertake when determining if the use of AI is appropriate.
• Regarding future or planned uses of AI, how does your department or agency incorporate data collection and identify measurable outcomes when determining if the use of AI is appropriate? What metrics does your department or agency use when determining the appropriateness of AI?
• Regarding current uses of AI, how does your department or agency incorporate data collection and identify measurable outcomes when determining if the use of AI is productive or effective? What metrics does your department or agency utilize when determining the productivity or effectiveness of current AI applications? How do these metrics and data collection guide decision-making on future applications of AI?
• Does your department or agency measure worker productivity or productivity gains as a result of the application of AI?
  • If yes, please detail how your agency measures worker productivity. How does this guide your department or agency’s decision-making on future applications of AI?
  • If no, please detail why your agency does not measure this.
• Please describe in detail the process that your department or agency uses to solicit input or feedback from the federal workers or the contractors who will be directly utilizing the planned AI technology.
• When determining if the use of AI by your department or agency is appropriate, please describe in detail how your department or agency considers the need for additional training for the federal workers and contractors who will be directly applying the AI technology as part of their job duties and responsibilities.
• If your department or agency is utilizing AI, please describe in detail how those uses inform your department or agency’s considerations on adjusting mission approach or allocating tasks among the department or agency’s workforce, including, but not limited to, adjusting job responsibilities, daily tasks, or team compositions?

I appreciate your thoughtful consideration of this matter and look forward to your response.