GSA launches AI Challenge to drive better healthcare outcomes

Yesterday, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) launched the Applied AI Healthcare Challenge, a prize competition seeking diverse and practical solutions to help federal agencies provide the highest level of medical care.

This challenge focuses on improving healthcare outcomes in these areas:

• Mental Health: AI technologies applied to mental health data to identify potential treatments.
• Addiction and the Opioid Epidemic: AI technologies to help public service agencies identify trends to detect and intervene earlier.
• Equity: AI to improve outcomes for populations disproportionately impacted by illness or disease.
• Supply Chain and Safety: AI to improve access to and safety of medications and supplies.
• Cancer: Research-based AI detection models to help detect cancers earlier and improve outcomes.

The Centers of Excellence (CoE) is working in partnership with Challenge.gov, both housed within GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), a part of GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service, to invite teams with new and existing AI technologies to participate in this competition as part of the Year of Open Science.

In particular, GSA encourages large and small enterprises, women-owned, minority-owned, small disadvantaged, and service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses to participate.

“Technology Transformation Services drives innovation by partnering with technologists in all sectors to identify, demonstrate, test, and prove out technology products that improve delivery of government services and benefits. The Applied AI Healthcare Challenge helps the public and private sector work together to identify promising new AI technology products that support healthcare services and initiatives, centering accessibility, privacy, and customer experience,” said TTS Director and FAS Deputy Commissioner Ann Lewis. “We are relying on our Open Government and Open Science principles to help the federal government expand its AI capabilities.”

This is the latest in GSA’s AI Challenge series, which launched last April. With over 120 participants from private and public sectors, the first challenge showed how increased public engagement can advance the impact of technology in government. The challenge also showed federal agencies how emerging AI can increase resilience during crises and better serve the public daily.

Participants will compete for four $25,000 prizes. Details to participate include:

• Submissions are due by March 20, 2023.
• Winners will be announced May 12, 2023.
• Up to 16 finalists will be selected to present at the Applied AI Health Challenge Industry Day on May 2, 2023.

“The Centers of Excellence delivers impact using best practices and technologies from the private sector to meet federal agency needs,” said Jennifer Rostami, Executive Director of the Centers of Excellence. “This partnership with Challenge.gov is an exciting opportunity for organizations, ranging from startups to nonprofits, to share their innovative AI technologies with the federal government.”
MB Bureau