Social Security Plans AI Phone System Amid Workforce Cuts

The Social Security Administration (SSA) plans to integrate artificial intelligence into its national phone system in 2025 to reduce long wait times and improve service for nearly 70 million Americans. SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano emphasized that this technology upgrade aims to transform the agency's customer service despite workforce reductions from 57,000 to 50,000 employees and the closure of several field offices led by the White House's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). While the average call wait time has decreased from 112 minutes in January to 68 minutes in April, early tests of the AI phone bot reveal challenges, including misunderstanding basic questions and requiring multiple attempts to connect callers to human agents. The SSA had proposed an in-person identity verification policy, which would have required millions of seniors to travel long distances, but this was reversed following public backlash, allowing phone verification instead. Bisignano expressed confidence that efficiency gains from technology and process improvements will offset staffing cuts and reiterated the commitment to meet beneficiaries through various channels, including field offices, online, and phone. The agency also recently shifted its public communications to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, reflecting an effort to modernize its outreach.