GAO to Release Report on Federal Agencies’ AI Use Case Inventories

The U.S. government’s auditing agency is set to update the public on federal agencies’ efforts to create an artificial intelligence use case database. 

Kevin Walsh, a director at the Government Accountability Office’s Information Technology and Cybersecurity division, said in an email to FedScoop that the public should expect within December the release of a GAO report providing an update on the agencies’ AI use case inventory initiative.

The report will highlight efforts launched by agencies covered by the Chief Financial Officer Act, including the departments of Commerce, Education and Housing and Urban Development, FedScoop reported.

Lynne Parker, associated vice chancellor and director of AI Tennessee Initiative at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, said use case inventories offer organizations a chance to improve transparency, allowing anyone to see how the technology is being used and make informed policy.

Reporting of AI use case inventories started during the Trump administration with the release of an executive order mandating federal agencies to create AI use case inventories and report them annually.

As of October, the federal government’s AI use case database contains over 700 ways the technology is used across organizations.