The Veterans Affairs Department wants to support its customer-service team with artificial intelligence, with the goal of providing high-tech help for veterans filling out forms, answering frequently asked questions or seeking referrals to experts for more advanced problems.
So, when does Skynet take over administration of the VA loan program? That could be a bit.
For now, VA’s seeking industry input on how an AI-assisted system might work. A July 2 request, outlined the next day at GCN.com, includes a 15-point list of deliverables, such as:
- “Natural Language Processing” to allow communication with veterans of all ages and education levels.
- A “human-like” interactive experience.
- The ability to start, stop and resume conversations or claim assistance, and to accept input via multiple methods, such as voice, text, clicking a drop-down menu item or filling out a form.
- “Automated Learning,” which would let the system listen into a human staffer’s successful interaction with a veteran and use the advice given for similar requests.
- “Multiple areas of ‘expertise’” including the VA loan program.
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The request also outlines a variety of security requirements designed to ensure an AI system would protect medical records and other personal data from improper access.
Industry representatives have until July 16 to reply to VA’s request. No deadlines or time frames for purchase, trials or implementation of an AI program are outlined in the request.
Seeking some AI-free VA loan tips? Visit our VA Loan Center.
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.