VHA lacks ‘formal mechanism’ for mitigating clinical AI chatbot risks, watchdog says

VA’s OIG said it is concerned “about VHA’s ability to promote and safeguard patient safety without a standardized process for managing AI-related risks.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs’ use of generative artificial intelligence tools in clinical settings represents “a potential patient safety risk,” the agency’s watchdog warned in a new report.

The analysis, released on Thursday by VA’s Office of the Inspector General, found that uses of generative AI chatbots across the Veterans Health Administration — VA’s healthcare arm — lacked the necessary oversight to mitigate potential risks resulting from these tools’ output. AI-powered chatbots have been documented to produce inaccuracies, such as omitting relevant data or generating false information. 

OIG said it examined two chatbots used by VHA: VA GPT, “a general use AI chat tool created by VA,” and Microsoft 365 Copilot chat, “a general use AI chat tool that the VA provides to all ...