VA’s head of AI sees his role as a ‘bridge’ to future use

Charles Worthington, chief artificial intelligence officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, testifies before a congressional panel on February 24, 2024. MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

The Department of Veterans Affairs has been testing out a variety of AI use cases to determine how the tools can enhance veteran care and benefit services. As the department’s Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and Chief Technology Officer, Charles Worthington said a large part of his work has been helping VA “bridge from where we are now to that future where AI is just kind of a component of most systems.”

Worthington recently spoke with Nextgov/FCW about how the VA is working to onboard new AI-powered capabilities and the department’s focus on making personnel comfortable with using the emerging technologies. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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