The General Services Administration (GSA) has launched a new AI tool, featuring a chat function and application programming interface (API), that the agency said aims to increase internal productivity.
GSA announced the new tool on March 20, which was created amid employee concerns that commercial AI tools wouldn’t meet the security and privacy standards required for Federal use.
“GSA has always led the way in developing and testing new technologies that improve how the federal government operates,” Stephen Ehikian, acting administrator and deputy administrator at GSA, said in a statement. “This tool reflects our proactive approach to innovation and our commitment to providing secure and effective solutions tailored to the unique needs of government work.”
“The opportunity to incorporate generative AI into Government work is akin to giving a personal computer to every worker,” he continued. “We are just at the start of our journey using this new tool, but the demand for this technology exists across GSA and the broader government.”
GSA said it aims to incorporate continuous staff feedback to improve the tool, with plans to roll out the tool to other Federal agencies in the future.
“This is a start, and we’ll be continually making improvements,” said Zach Whitman, chief AI officer and chief data officer at GSA. “That’s why staff input is essential. We want to understand how this tool fits into day-to-day workflows and where adjustments are needed to maximize its value.”
The tool’s launch mirrors other agencies’ deployment of internal AI chat functions and features intended to assist with administrative tasks.
Like GSA’s tool, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced its AI-powered chatbot coined DHSChat in December, citing inspiration from commercially available generative AI programs but with Federal-level security standards.
Last year, the State Department also launched an internal chatbot called StateChat, and the Department of the Air Force unveiled its own chatbot known as NIPRGPT.
The Social Security Agency also reported in December that it has been working on AI use cases to improve administrative and back-office functions.
