Artificial intelligence is making significant strides in the healthcare sector, with a wide variety of use cases emerging at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. From reusable NLP pipelines for clinical narratives preprocessing to evaluating Generative AI for polio containment, these applications are diverse and extensive. In this article, we will explore the updated list of All HHS AI Use Cases and the larger trends shaping the use of AI in healthcare.

Why It Matters

As mandated by executive orders from recent administrations, the Office of the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer in HHS' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Technology Policy (ASTP) has compiled an updated list of All HHS AI Use Cases. Principal Deputy National Coordinator for Health IT Steven Posnack stated in a blog post that the 2024 AI use case inventory includes not only use case summaries but also information on data, IT infrastructure, internal governance, and more. Since 2023, the list has grown significantly, with more than a 66% increase from 163 to over 270 use cases. It's important to note that use cases vary in size and development stage. Out of the 271 use cases, 59 are "Initiated," 57 are in "Acquisition and/or Development," 35 are in "Implementation and Assessment," 104 are in "Operation and Maintenance," and 16 are "Retired."

ASTP's Role and Responsibilities

ASTP's Office of the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer is responsible for leading yearly inventories of HHS AI use case inventory. This responsibility was initiated by President Trump through Executive Order 13960 and further enhanced by President Biden's EO 14110. Meanwhile, the Office of Management and Budget's Memoranda M-24-10 sets requirements for AI governance, innovation, and risk management. The past Trump Administration supported AI innovation, while the Biden administration focused on promoting AI security and efficacy through various efforts, including OMB rules requiring "concrete safeguards" around the transparent and responsible use of AI across government agencies, including HHS and the VA.

On the Record

With the 2024 AI use case inventory release behind us, the planning for the 2025 inventory and improvements has already begun. Posnack mentioned that they will use the curated list to engage sister agencies and execute additional ongoing responsibilities included in M-24-10, such as sharing AI code, models, and data where applicable and appropriate. This shows the collaborative nature of the efforts to advance AI in healthcare.