White House unveils AI plan to transform federal employee records

In early April 2025, the United States Office of Personnel Management announced a significant step towards modernizing federal employee record-keeping by preparing to post an updated Privacy Impact Assessment. This move is aimed at enabling the application of artificial intelligence in government processes, particularly in the management of personnel records. The initiative aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive order issued in January 2025, which set forth a commitment for the U.S. to lead in artificial intelligence technology and improve efficiency across federal agencies. The introduction of AI technology into the record-keeping process is expected to drastically reduce the time required to process retirees, turning what can often take weeks or months into a matter of seconds. This will also address the accuracy issues associated with the current paper-based system, which relies heavily on outdated practices. With the new system, federal employees will be able to retire with their records finalized in less than a second, a significant improvement over the current inefficiencies that have plagued the system. As part of the AI implementation process, officials highlighted that the technology had already achieved 100% accuracy in tests conducted in simulated environments. However, real-world tests using actual data cannot commence until the updated Privacy Impact Assessment is publicly posted. This development marks the first time the U.S. government has sought to deploy artificial intelligence directly in managing federal employees' records, while also trying to mitigate the risks involved with such a significant leap into advanced technology. Furthermore, the initiative underscores a broader goal of avoiding an increase in physical documents, striving to reduce the massive catalog of paper records stored in facilities nationwide. This aim is particularly notable given that the current filing systems contain increasingly illegible PDFs and duplicate records that hinder operational efficiency. Harrison Fields, Principal White House Deputy Press Secretary, emphasized the urgency and necessity of such technological upgrades to ensure that the Office of Personnel Management can function as effectively as possible in serving federal employees.