The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled a 21-page artificial intelligence (AI) strategy on December 4, 2025, marking a significant step in integrating AI into the federal workforce. This initiative follows a year-long effort that includes several key directives such as the AI Action Plan and Executive Order 14179, aimed at enhancing public health programs, scientific research, and internal operations. The strategy aligns with the previous administration’s goals to leverage innovative technologies to improve patient outcomes and foster American innovation.
Under the leadership of HHS Acting Chief AI Officer Clark Minor, the strategy emphasizes the responsible and mission-driven expansion of AI usage across the Department. Minor stated, “This strategy is about harnessing AI to empower our workforce and drive innovation across the Department.” The plan is structured around five core pillars: governance and risk management, infrastructure and platform design, workforce development, research and reproducibility, and modernization of care and public health delivery. These pillars are intended to provide a comprehensive roadmap for AI integration and will be reassessed regularly to keep pace with rapid technological advancements.
Coinciding with HHS’s announcement, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently launched an agency-wide “agentic AI” platform, enabling employees to utilize AI for complex tasks. This platform, which promotes human oversight, exemplifies a broader trend within HHS to adopt AI technologies across its divisions, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The “OneHHS” initiative aims to facilitate collaboration among agencies, allowing for the sharing and public release of AI models and code where legally permissible.
Implementation and Governance
The strategy outlines explicit directives for HHS divisions, which are expected to establish robust governance frameworks to oversee AI initiatives. A high-level AI Governance Board, led by Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, has been created to guide AI activities throughout the Department. This board will work alongside a cross-division AI Community of Practice, ensuring synchronization between top-down governance and bottom-up innovation. To support these efforts, HHS plans to update internal policies, streamline the IT approval process, and instill an agile governance structure that maintains ethical standards.
HHS will also maintain an enterprise AI use case inventory, with an anticipated 70 percent increase in new AI projects for fiscal year 2025. This emphasis on cataloging AI initiatives is designed to foster a culture of open sharing within the Department, allowing successful solutions to scale across agencies without unnecessary duplication of efforts. Each division is tasked with reporting their AI applications annually, contributing to a pool of resources that can be leveraged across the HHS network.
As part of its commitment to risk management, HHS is instituting strict compliance checks for high-impact AI systems, which could significantly affect health outcomes or data privacy. By April 3, 2026, each division must identify such systems and implement essential risk management practices. This proactive approach aims to ensure that AI deployments do not compromise patient safety or civil rights, establishing a framework for responsible innovation.
Workforce development is another cornerstone of the strategy, focusing on equipping staff with the necessary skills to utilize AI effectively. HHS plans to create new roles for AI specialists, while existing personnel will undergo expanded training programs to enhance their understanding of AI technologies. This initiative aims to cultivate an “AI-ready” workforce capable of identifying opportunities for AI integration in their work environments.
To measure progress, HHS will embed key performance indicators related to AI initiatives into its annual performance plans. The AI Governance Board will regularly review these metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of AI applications within the Department. In a bid to foster public trust, HHS also commits to transparency by publicly sharing an updated AI use case inventory and evaluations of major AI systems.
Ultimately, the strategy signifies a transformative shift in HHS’s approach to AI, aiming to establish a cohesive AI capability rather than a fragmented collection of isolated projects. By aligning with prior directives and establishing clear responsibilities, HHS is poised to lead in deploying AI technologies while enhancing public health services. The proactive stance on risk assessment and governance, coupled with an ambitious timeline, presents a unique opportunity for industry collaboration, signaling HHS’s commitment to harnessing AI to improve health outcomes for the American public.
See also
Trump Aims for Federal Control of AI to Prevent State-Level Regulations and Job Losses
Congress Proposes Regulatory Sandboxes to Enhance AI Innovation Amid State Law Conflicts
China Proposes World AI Cooperation Organisation to Set Global Safety Standards
FTC Warns Businesses: Key Legal Risks of AI Chatbots Require Immediate Safeguards
Federal AI Regulation Moratorium Reemerges Amid Bipartisan Opposition from States
