Social Security Announces Major Change to Phone System
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The Social Security Administration (SSA) plans to address growing waiting times on hundreds of thousands of daily calls by incorporating artificial intelligence.
In an interview with CBS News on Wednesday, SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano said: "We're bringing in a massive technology effort to transform the servicing agenda... We're going to bring AI into the phone system."
He added: "I intend it to be completed this year."
Newsweek has contacted the SSA for comment outside of regular working hours.
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano speaking in Washington D.C. in March.
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano speaking in Washington D.C. in March.Why It Matters
Bisignano's suggestions for revamping the SSA phone system come as the agency continues to struggle with serving the nearly 70 million Americans reliant on Social Security benefits each month. SSA data shows that the agency deals with hundreds of thousands of calls each day, leading to increasingly long wait times on the phone.
The agency's ability to meet the needs of beneficiaries has also been made more challenging by the policies of President Donald Trump's administration, such as workforce reductions and office closures driven by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
What To Know
According to SSA data, the agency dealt with 369,138 daily calls on average in April, down from 483,549 in March, with a monthly average of 390,825 in the fiscal year so far.
Additionally, average call wait times have risen from just over an hour to 86 minutes this year, reaching a peak of 112 minutes in January following the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act.
Earlier this year, the SSA announced plans to implement in-person identity checks amid efforts to combat fraud, preventing beneficiaries from verifying over the phone and requiring them to visit agency field offices. This proposal was scrapped after significant pushback and concerns it could create difficulties for those living far from in-person facilities and those unable to navigate the SSA's online portal.
Prior to Bisignano's confirmation in early May, the SSA had floated potential ways to incorporate AI into its system, including the launch of an AI anti-fraud check on claims filed over the phone, which it said was "further modernizing the agency's services and strengthening program integrity."
Regarding the agency's plans to cut its workforce by 12 percent to 50,000 employees, Bisignano told CBS News the SSA would be able to continue carrying out its duties "through technology and process engineering."
During an address to SSA managers last week, Bisignano said that AI would prove to be a "great enabler" for employees handling their larger workloads, according to the Federal News Network.
What People Are Saying
When asked whether less tech-capable recipients would benefit from the incorporation of AI, Bisignano said: "We're going to meet beneficiaries where they want to be. You want to come into a field office, we'll always be there. You want to meet us on the web, we will be there. You want to meet us on the phone we'll be there."
What Happens Next?
Bisignano did not specify how exactly AI would be incorporated into the SSA's phone system, or when recipients could expect to see the changes, but said the change would be completed this year.
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