Presented by Appian
Artificial intelligence can help employees find information, evaluate options, and serve veterans more effectively. Zack Schwartz says the Department of Veterans Affairs is pursuing those opportunities while keeping responsibility for decisions with the professionals doing the work.
Zach Schwartz, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in VA’s Office of Information and Technology, discusses that balance in in this interview recorded at Appian Government. His message connects an ambitious approach to emerging technology with governance, workforce preparation, and protection of veteran information.
In healthcare, he emphasizes assistance rather than autonomous decision-making. AI can provide additional context, identify information a professional might otherwise miss, and support interpretation. The doctor, nurse, or other practitioner remains responsible for determining what to do.
That principle extends across the department. Schwartz says employees need to understand when AI is appropriate, the privacy obligations surrounding its use, and their continuing role in the final decision. Training and change management help turn those expectations into everyday practice.
Modernization also requires working with the information VA already has. Some legacy applications contain medical histories, earlier decisions, and other records that remain essential to serving veterans. Schwartz acknowledges that the department cannot necessarily retire every older application immediately.
Connecting newer capabilities to those systems can make their information easier to use. Instead of treating age alone as a reason to disregard an application’s value, the department can examine how AI might improve access to the knowledge it contains.
That approach gives modernization a practical dimension. A system may be slow or difficult to search while still holding information that matters. Improving how employees reach that information can help address immediate mission needs as broader technology changes continue.
Schwartz also describes a changing relationship with industry. VA wants partners to demonstrate useful capabilities rather than rely exclusively on written proposals, past qualifications, or incumbent status.
He explains that the department is challenging companies to show what they can do with data and how quickly they can produce something valuable. That expectation applies to established partners and companies seeking an opportunity to work with VA.
The intended standard is delivery for veterans. Schwartz says companies must continue bringing their strongest teams and new ideas, with performance determining their contribution to the mission.
Security remains a priority as those capabilities expand. Schwartz highlights the need to protect veteran data and use newer tools to strengthen defensive measures. The same technology that supports services must fit within an environment designed to safeguard the people relying on them.
Across the interview, the focus is consistent: technology should improve the information available to employees and the services veterans receive. Effective adoption requires more than enthusiasm for AI. It requires clear boundaries, informed users, demonstrable results, and continued attention to privacy and security as the department connects emerging tools with the systems and responsibilities it already carries across its missions and services.
3 Key Takeaways