TLDR: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has introduced a comprehensive framework designed to guide the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other federal agencies in the responsible and accountable implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. This initiative comes as the VA grapples with challenges in adopting generative AI, including resource constraints and compliance issues, while also expanding its AI applications.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has presented a new framework aimed at ensuring the responsible and accountable use of artificial intelligence (AI) within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and across the broader federal landscape. This development was highlighted in a prepared testimony by Carol Harris, the Director of IT and Cybersecurity at GAO, for an upcoming hearing with the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization.
The GAO’s framework is structured around critical principles essential for robust AI governance. These include ensuring data reliability and quality, establishing strong AI system governance, rigorously assessing AI system performance, and continuously monitoring AI system reliability over time. Each principle is accompanied by key practices intended to assist the VA in conducting thorough assessments and audits of its AI implementations.
While the VA is actively exploring the potential of AI, such as automating medical imaging processes to enhance diagnostic services for veterans, it also faces significant hurdles in the adoption and management of generative AI. According to Harris, these challenges mirror those experienced by many other federal agencies and encompass compliance with existing federal guidance and policies, insufficient technical and financial resources, difficulties in AI workforce hiring and development, data security concerns, and the complexities of acquiring appropriate AI tools. In response, the VA is reportedly taking steps to address these issues, notably by implementing new AI requirements outlined in an April 2025 memorandum from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
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This initiative by the GAO is part of a broader federal push to manage the rapidly evolving AI landscape. The GAO has identified a substantial number of AI-related requirements across the government, totaling 94 government-wide mandates, and has noted the involvement of 10 executive branch oversight groups in federal AI use. Furthermore, a recent GAO review indicated a significant surge in AI adoption across federal agencies, with the total number of reported AI use cases nearly doubling from 571 in 2023 to 1,110 in 2024. Generative AI use cases, in particular, saw a nine-fold increase during the same period, rising from 32 to 282, underscoring the growing reliance on this technology within government operations.
