Senate Democrats are expressing concerns over the Social Security Administration's implementation of artificial intelligence on its phone lines and the resulting service degradation. Reports indicate that an anti-fraud tool slowed retirement claims processing significantly while detecting minimal fraud cases. A new AI chatbot is also causing issues with long wait times, disconnections, and incorrect responses. Senators are demanding evidence supporting the need for policy changes that led to these disruptions, highlighting a lack of proper consultation prior to the deployment of these AI systems.
These AI programs, which the agency deployed with little consultation with Congress, advocates, or other key stakeholders, appear to have been developed in haste and represent a troubling pattern that if continued, would significantly impede Americans' ability to access their Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
Only after significant public outcry did SSA decide to pare back its policy. To date, SSA has yet to provide us any evidence or analysis demonstrating the need to change its policy from its pre-March anti-fraud measures.
We have also received reports of service issues from constituents, advocates and key stakeholders, such as the chatbot responding to a different question than what the caller had asked or incorrectly disconnecting the call.
The fraud check was installed after DOGE and White House leaders repeated false claims about fraud on SSA phone lines.
#social-security-administration #artificial-intelligence #phone-services #fraud-prevention #government-policy
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