Federal AI Use Cases Double In 2024, New Report Shows - 1

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Federal AI Use Cases Double In 2024, New Report Shows

  • Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

The White House released its 2024 consolidated list of federal artificial intelligence (AI) use cases on Wednesday, revealing that federal agencies more than doubled their reported uses compared to last year.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • Federal agencies reported 1,757 AI use cases in 2024, up from 710 in 2023.
  • Top AI categories are mission support, health and medical, and government services.
  • Classified and sensitive AI uses aren’t listed individually but require aggregate reporting.

The inventory, published on the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) GitHub , documents 1,757 public AI applications across 37 federal agencies, up from 710 in 2023.

According to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) Council, the top AI categories are mission-enabling (internal agency support), health and medical applications, and government services, such as benefits delivery, as reported by Fedscoop .

The annual inventory process, initiated in 2020, has been refined under the Biden administration to include additional disclosures, particularly regarding rights- and safety-impacting use cases, says Fedscoop.

These cases are subject to stricter risk management practices outlined in OMB memo M-24-10. Agencies unable to meet these standards were required to halt such use cases by December 1.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) reported the highest number of AI applications with 271, followed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as reported by Fedscoop.

Notably, DHS also disclosed a 136% increase in use cases from 2023, including its new internal chatbot, DHSChat.

Of the 1,757 use cases, 227 involve rights and safety implications, with 145 stemming from the VA. For cases requiring more time to comply with OMB’s guidelines, 206 year-long extensions were granted, says Fedscoop.

Extensions were approved based on agencies’ justifications and their efforts to mitigate risks during the compliance period, says Fedscoop. While most use cases are operational, the inventory reflects applications at various stages, from development to retirement.

Certain classified and sensitive applications, including those within the Department of Defense, are not included individually in the public inventory. However, agencies are now required to report aggregate metrics for such use cases, noted Fedscoop.

Several agencies, including the Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation, missed the reporting deadline but indicated that their inventories would be updated by January 2025, as reported by Fedscoop.

OpenAI Rolls Out 1-800-CHATGPT For Calls And WhatsApp Text - 2

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OpenAI Rolls Out 1-800-CHATGPT For Calls And WhatsApp Text

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor

OpenAI announced yesterday that users can now communicate with ChatGPT by calling 1-800-CHATGPT in the United States and Canada, or by texting the same number via WhatsApp worldwide.

In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!

  • Users in the U.S. and Canada can call 1-800-242-8478 to speak with ChatGPT for up to 15 minutes per month.
  • The same number is available for WhatsApp chats in text mode for users worldwide.
  • No account or login is required to contact the chatbot.

The new feature is part of the Christmas program, “ 12 Days of OpenAI, ” during which the company has been sharing updates like real-time video for ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode and its new $200 model ChatGPT Pro .

Now, on the program’s 10th day, users in the U.S. or Canada can dial 1-800-242-8478 to talk to ChatGPT’s voice model for up to 15 minutes per month. Users in other countries can message the technology via WhatsApp.

You can now talk to ChatGPT by calling 1-800-ChatGPT (1-800-242-8478) in the U.S. or by sending a WhatsApp message to the same number—available everywhere ChatGPT is. pic.twitter.com/R0XOPut7Qw — OpenAI (@OpenAI) December 18, 2024

OpenAI’s team shared a livestream demonstrating how users can save the number to their phone contacts and call the chatbot or text it on WhatsApp. They showcased how the feature works on smartphones, “ dumbphones, ” and even landlines and rotary phones.

“Hello again, it’s ChatGPT, an AI assistant. Our conversation may be reviewed for safety, how can I help you?,” said the chatbot when the team called for a test.

OpenAI shared two live examples demonstating how this new feature can be used over the phone: to get directions or information about a travel destination and its landmarks, and as a language coach before meeting friends and family from different cultures.

For WhatsApp, the team asked ChatGPT to provide recipes for pasta with pesto for a dinner. The chatbot provided a list of ingredients and detailed recipes. It also adapted its answers to include a vegan version of the recipe and suggested a another dish to compliment the dinner for the meat-eating participant.