The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking public input on how to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical care, citing potential benefits for patient outcomes, provider workload, and healthcare costs.

HHS issued a >Request for Information (RFI) asking stakeholders to comment on how the department can use its regulatory, reimbursement, and research authorities to support broader use of AI across the health system. The initiative aligns with federal efforts to strengthen U.S. leadership in AI and reflects growing interest within HHS in moving AI tools beyond limited pilots and into routine clinical use.

“Artificial intelligence will be a transformative force for good across America,” said HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill. “Our efforts to accelerate AI adoption must reflect the real needs of those developing these tools and delivering care.”
HHS officials emphasized that interoperability and secure, HIPAA-compliant data use will be critical for AI to function effectively in clinical settings. Thomas Keane, M.D., MBA, assistant secretary for technology policy, and national coordinator for health IT, said confidence in data exchange remains a prerequisite for wider adoption. “Data liquidity and trust are essential,” Keane said, adding that AI can only improve care if patients and providers understand and trust how data is used.

The RFI seeks input on several policy areas, including how digital health and software regulations should evolve to safely accommodate AI-enabled technologies, how reimbursement pathways could be streamlined to support cost-efficient tools, and how federal research investments could strengthen implementation science and best practices. HHS is also requesting feedback on the use of AI in complex or high-acuity clinical environments, where patient safety concerns are heightened.

In addition to near-term policy questions, HHS is asking respondents to consider longer-term trends that may shape AI use in healthcare. These include the growing prevalence of frailty, dementia, and other chronic conditions, and whether AI could help health systems address workforce shortages and rising demand for care.

The effort builds on HHS’s “OneHHS” AI strategy, which has focused on coordinating AI use within the department. With the RFI, HHS is extending that strategy outward to inform future actions across its agencies. Responses will be used to guide policy development, research priorities, and implementation strategies related to AI adoption in healthcare.

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