Retirement Social Security

Social Security Is Planning to Use More AI - Here's What It Could Mean for You

It seems Social Security is beginning to plan a large-scale AI rollout.

By Josh Koebert , Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated Aug. 28, 2026

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With millions of people receiving Social Security senior benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) is looking at ways to implement and use artificial intelligence (AI). The SSA released an enterprise AI strategy in September 2025, and a request for information (RFI) posted in August 2026 indicates that the SSA wants to "accelerate" its approach to AI.

The news raises questions about how the SSA might use AI, how it might impact customer service, and what it means for Americans as they sign up for and manage Social Security benefits.

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What the RFI requests

The SSA's RFI indicates that the agency is planning a "coordinated, agency-wide" approach to the use of the technology. It notes that the SSA "welcomes input on any relevant topic," but highlights a particular interest in:

Pipeline - sourcing and prioritizing AI opportunities
Talent - building internal AI capacity
Infrastructure - enterprise architecture
Training - enablement and adoption
Governance - trust and accountability

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The details of what the RFI is asking for

The RFI requests information on AI models and case studies for the coordination and implementation of AI strategy. It requests approaches to attract and onboard individuals with AI skills and asks respondents to provide "high-level ideas" around AI infrastructure and enterprise architecture. When it comes to training and governance, the RFI requests respondents provide approaches to training to help staff adopt and use AI tools in their daily work and governance models that "balance speed of deployment with accountability, transparency, and public trust."

The RFI is asking outside vendors about how to deploy AI, including agentic AI. Agentic AI refers to AI systems that are semi- or fully autonomous and are able to perceive, reason, and act on their own.

What AI might mean for customer wait times

The SSA is already struggling with customer wait times. From January 2025 to June 2026, SSA staffing fell by 7,945 employees. Additionally, the agency has faced steep budget cuts, including a decline of $3 billion in operating revenue from 2017 to 2025.

Such cuts may have impacted the SSA's ability to provide customer service. Though all 1,200 SSA field offices have remained open, some offices are so understaffed that they're effectively closed, earning them the nickname of "ghost offices."

Lawmakers have also heard complaints from constituents who report long phone wait times and varying quality of customer service. Senator Elizabeth Warren expressed concern about the operation of the SSA's 800 number in 2025, but a report the SSA produced indicated that the phone service had improved in fiscal year 2025.

It's possible that AI might help the SSA better manage and reduce customer wait times, but the SSA hasn't shared specific details on how it plans to implement AI.

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The SSA's shift to digital services

There's been a notable shift to digital services within the SSA. On February 9, 2026, the SSA put out a press release announcing that over 100 million Americans had created personal my Social Security accounts. "This marks a major milestone in the agency's digital-first transformation to increase accessibility, expand service, and improve the overall customer experience for the public," the press release read.

The SSA's enterprise AI plan also highlights a commitment to embracing the new technology. "By promoting responsible AI use, we aim to improve public services, protect privacy and civil rights, and build an AI-ready workforce," the plan states. "This strategy demonstrates our commitment to responsible AI innovation and to continually improving our service to the American people."

What the SSA has said about its AI usage and plans

On June 26, 2026, Brian Peltier, SSA's head of technology, customer data, and AI and chief AI officer, described the SSA's changing approach to technology. "We're on the cusp of really changing the way we operate, how we work, and how we service our customers," he said.

Peltier spoke in favor of agentic AI, saying that the technology had advanced and agencies had worked to modernize their underlying systems.

He emphasized that AI should help strengthen the delivery of service across all channels, rather than just focusing on digital interactions. He explained that as more customers become comfortable using online services, SSA staff are able to help people who need in-person help.

Peltier shared one example of how AI is already improving service; an internal retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) tool combines SSA policy and compliance documents, helping employees better locate policy guidance by using a chatbot to access the documents they need.

Bottom line

The RFI is an information-gathering step, and it's not an actual rollout of AI. The RFI helps an organization gather information about vendors' products, services, and capabilities, so they can better understand market availability and determine potential ideal vendors. It's used early on in the sales cycle and helps an organization identify the best next steps to take.

The RFI suggests the SSA plans to move forward with a larger use of AI, and that raises questions. Could AI speed up decisions or automate the denial process? What elements of human review might remain in place? This is an important topic to monitor, especially for anyone who depends on Social Security benefits as part of their retirement plan.

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