U.S. Health Department Unveils New Strategy to Expand Adoption of AI Technology
By Ali Swenson | December 5, 2025
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced an ambitious strategy aimed at significantly expanding the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies across its divisions. The initiative, unveiled Thursday, represents a coordinated effort to harness AI’s potential to enhance efficiency and innovation in healthcare while increasing the department’s responsiveness to public health challenges.
A First Step Towards AI-Driven Transformation
Described by HHS as a “first step,” the new 20-page AI strategy outlines a roadmap focused primarily on making departmental operations more efficient and fostering closer coordination in AI adoption. Beyond internal improvements, the document hints at broad aspirations, including employing AI to analyze patient health data in real time and accelerate drug development.
Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O’Neill framed the strategy as a commitment to dismantle bureaucratic obstacles and unify technology efforts. “For too long, our Department has been bogged down by bureaucracy and busy-work,” O’Neill wrote in his introduction. “It is time to tear down these barriers to progress and unite in our use of technology to Make America Healthy Again.”
Building on Previous Administrations’ AI Initiatives
The strategy reflects the Trump administration’s enthusiastic embrace of AI advances within the federal workforce, which encouraged the widespread use of AI assistants and chatbots for routine tasks. This approach contrasts with the Biden administration’s focus on establishing regulatory guardrails for generative AI technologies. Notably, President Trump repealed a Biden-era executive order that imposed stricter AI regulations and sought to remove barriers to the technology’s federal adoption.
Core Pillars of HHS’s AI Strategy
The plan sets forth five key pillars guiding HHS’s AI agenda:
- Governance and Risk Management: Establishing structures to manage AI-related risks across the department.
- AI Resource Development: Creating a suite of AI tools accessible throughout HHS.
- Workforce Empowerment: Training and encouraging employees to integrate AI tools into their work.
- Research and Standards: Funding programs to set rigorous standards for AI use in healthcare research and drug development.
- Public Health and Patient Care: Incorporating AI to provide personalized, context-aware health guidance by securely interpreting medical records.
According to the document, HHS currently has 271 active or planned AI projects in the 2024 fiscal year, and the department anticipates a 70% increase in such implementations in 2025. ### Increasing Access to AI Tools
Earlier this year, HHS made the popular AI model ChatGPT available to every employee, signaling a cultural shift toward a “try-first” approach that encourages experimentation with AI to boost productivity and innovation.
Privacy and Security Concerns Loom
While the strategy champions AI’s potential, experts and some voices within the department’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement have voiced concerns about privacy and data security. Sharing sensitive health data, especially with tech companies, remains a contentious issue.
HHS has previously faced criticism for sharing Medicaid recipients’ personal health data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), raising fears about inappropriate uses of sensitive information.
Artificial intelligence expert Oren Etzioni praised the strategy’s vision but cautioned against sacrificing safety for speed. “Ambition brings risk when dealing with the most sensitive data Americans have: their health information,” he said, emphasizing the importance of “gold standard science,” transparency, and thorough risk assessments.
Etzioni also expressed skepticism about HHS’s ability to uphold these standards under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., citing Kennedy’s past disregard for scientific rigor in certain public health debates.
Calls for Greater Transparency and Safeguards
Darrell West, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation, noted that while the plan promises stronger risk management, it lacks specifics on how patient privacy and data security will be maintained.
“There are clear safeguards in place for individual records, but not as many protections for aggregated information being analyzed by AI tools,” West remarked. He underscored the need for transparent policies balancing operational improvements with privacy protections, especially concerning partnerships between HHS and large technology firms.
Still, West sees potential in the initiative: “If done carefully, this could become a transformative example of a modernized agency that performs at a much higher level than before.”
Looking Ahead
As AI technologies rapidly evolve and become integral to healthcare systems, HHS’s strategy signals a critical attempt to align health policy and technology innovation. How effectively the department balances innovation with privacy and scientific integrity will be key to public trust and the success of its AI ambitions.
Related coverage:
- “Virginia Tech and AWS Team Up to Train National Security Leaders in Generative AI”
- “Space Force to Finalize 15-Year Force Design by 2026”
- “Union Survey Highlights Morale Crisis Among Foreign Service Employees”
For ongoing updates on federal AI and technology news, subscribe to our newsletter and follow our coverage.
