Social Security Administration to Implement AI in Phone Systems to Improve Customer Service

Social Security plans to add artificial intelligence to phone systems, commissioner says

Washington -- Frank Bisignano, commissioner of the Social Security Administration, told CBS News that he believes technology, and specifically artificial intelligence, could be the key to improving his agency's customer service, despite recent changes that have prompted concern among some of the nearly 69 million Americans that receive Social Security each month. "We're bringing a massive technology effort to transform the servicing agenda," Bisignano said. "We're gonna bring AI into the phone system...I intend it to be completed this year." The agency gets about 390,000 calls per day, according to SSA data. The average wait time for those calls as of April was 68 minutes, down from 112 minutes in January. "I say, we're gonna meet our beneficiaries where they want to be," said Bisgnano, who was CEO of financial services company Fiserv before being tapped by President Trump in December to lead the SSA. "You want to come into a field office? We we'll always be there. You want to meet us on the web? We will be there. And you want to meet us on the phone, we'll be there." The SSA announced in March that it would require in-person identity checks at field offices for new and existing beneficiaries, with some limited exemptions. Following backlash to the move, however, the White House in April backed off that requirement, saying that seniors and other recipients could verify their identities over the phone. About six million seniors would have faced a 45-mile trip to reach an SSA office, according to an analysis from the Center on Budget and Public Policies. There are questions about how Bisgnano plans to implement changes despite a smaller workforce. In February, the agency said it intended to cut its staffing levels down from about 57,000 to 50,000, a 12% reduction. The website for the White House's Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has identified more than a dozen field offices for closure. Bisignano argues that the cuts won't prevent the SSA from increasing its efficiency, which he believes can be achieved "through technology and process engineering." The SSA turns 90 this year, but as the U.S. ages, the gap between benefit payments and revenue is widening. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that by 2033, the fund used to pay retirement and survivor benefits will be exhausted. "There's lots of senators that I've heard from that have all ideas about how to fix it," Bisignano said. "So, we need to just go to work on how to fix it." Bisignano is seeking to reassure Americans who are planning to file for Social Security in 10 years that they will still receive their full benefits, not just a portion of them. "Everybody is committed to Social Security for the rest of time."

Social Security Announces Major Change to Phone System

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. 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. Related Articles