AI Drives Mission Success Forward for the Department of Veterans Affairs
When AI first entered its hype cycle, many use cases were explored, but few had improving workforce communication and collaboration at the top of their lists for anticipated use cases. However, as federal agencies start exploring the ethical, safe, and trustworthy uses of AI, improvements in communication and collaboration have risen to the top.
“Federal agencies are eager to adopt AI,” explained Jerry Dotson, Vice President of U.S. Public Sector at Avaya. “There’s a lot of support on Capitol Hill in terms of exploring use cases and funding ones that enable agencies to deliver on the mission. From increased budget requests to the GSA’s use case playbook, federal agencies are identifying ways in which AI can streamline workflows, ease the impact of a shortage of workers, and improve constituent – or customer – experiences whether online or in contact centers.”
One agency that has been quick to embrace AI is the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In its newly released Artificial Intelligence Vision Statement the VA has placed the emphasis clearly on using AI to deliver better outcomes for veterans, survivors, and their caregivers. Dr. Kaeli Yuen, Data and AI Health Product Lead at the VA’s Office of the CTO, shared at a recent AI summit that the VA’s “strategy … is to provide the tools to employees who are the human in that loop and make sure that the right information gets to veterans. She also added that the VA’s AI use case strategy aligns with “existing agency priorities – like reducing physician burnout and improving clinical outcomes … so [agency workers] can spend more time caring for patients and less time doing administrative work.”
But AI’s impact in improving the federal government’s workforce experience will be extensive in the coming years. From the Department of Defense to the Social Security Administration, many agencies have identified use GenAI use cases that improve collaboration and communication to support workers and improve constituent experience.
“Generative AI tools are top of mind for agency CIOs, particularly in contact centers,” said Jerry Dotson, Vice President of U.S. Public Sector at Avaya. “These tools enable employees to communicate and collaborate securely, respond quickly to changing needs, and deliver services at manageable costs. GenAI excels at processing vast amounts of reference materials, helping contact center agents respond faster and more accurately to constituent inquiries.” Dotson added, “with Avaya Government Cloud™, agencies can ensure these capabilities are deployed securely, protecting sensitive information like Social Security numbers and medical records—while meeting rigorous federal compliance standards.”
As federal agencies continue to drive their IT modernization and innovation programs forward in the coming months and years, being able to achieve transformational change securely at speed and scale, regardless of budget, will be essential. By embracing AI, in particular GenAI tools, and leveraging existing investments in future-proof solutions like the cloud, federal IT leaders will be on the fast track to success.
Learn more about the AI capabilities available within Avaya Government Cloud, a robust, flexible, and secure platform tailored to meet the unique needs of federal and state agencies like the Department of Veteran Affairs.