Senate Democrats want more information on SSA’s use of AI on its phone lines

US Senator Ron Wyden, Democrat from Oregon, alongside Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat from Massachusetts, speaks during a news conference about protecting Social Security benefits on April 1, 2025, in Washington, DC. They joined Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in sending a letter to the SSA head June 24 demanding answers about the agency's use of AI. JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Senate Democrats are asking for more information on the Social Security Administration’s use of artificial intelligence on its phone lines following reports that an anti-fraud tool degraded service over the spring and that a new AI bot on the phone lines is causing service issues for callers now.

“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 ...