Artificial intelligence could innovate the way California addresses food insecurity in vulnerable communities, according to witnesses at a recent public hearing of the Little Hoover Commission.
The June 27 hearing was part of the Commission’s larger study assessing the adoption of artificial intelligence to improve state operations. The hearing featured witnesses from academia, state and county health agencies, and the tech industry.
“The policies that are proven to reduce food insecurity are improved access to federal nutrition programs among people who are eligible. So that includes SNAP or CalFresh and includes WIC,” said Hilary Seligman, Professor of Medicine and of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UC San Francisco.
A common issue described by witnesses throughout the hearing was the limited level of communication across enrollment platforms for social services.
“This is especially a problem between these two programs, CalFresh and Medi-Cal, because almost all Medi-Cal patients are eligible for CalFresh. And so, one [artificial intelligence] opportunity may be related to Medi-Cal enrollees being automatically referred to or checked for CalFresh enrollment,” said Dr. Seligman.
Nolan Sullivan, Agency Director of Yolo County Health and Human Services, offered a similar suggestion for college students attending UC Davis who may be eligible for social services.
“We have all of their information on the FAFSA,” said Sullivan. “Why can’t the FAFSA make them eligible to CalFresh right off the bat?”
In addition to social services enrollment, witnesses also discussed AI solutions for agricultural productivity.
“The food system is ripe for disruption,” said Ilias Tagkopoulos, Professor of Computer Science at UC Davis, and Director of the Artificial Intelligence Institute for Next Generation Food Systems. “A lot of the way that we are doing things globally, and also in the U.S., is not that efficient. It’s obsolete. It can be better.”
Deploying any artificial intelligence system will also require careful planning and collaboration across sectors.
“It’s hard for me to imagine what AI can even do in this space,” said Dr. Seligman. “And there are very few people, I think, who have the knowledge necessary to work across these sectors that have not traditionally worked together. And so, if I had to ask for one thing, I think it would really be the opportunity for some group thinking in this area where we could brainstorm.”
While artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize how the state addresses food insecurity, witnesses acknowledged it could also have unintended consequences.
“We do recognize that there’s really two sides to this AI coin,” said Adam Dondro, Director of the Office of Technology and Solutions Integration and Agency Chief Information Officer for California Health and Human Services. “On one side, we need to accelerate the delivery of safety net programs, increase accessibility, and disrupt systemic inequities, while also being mindful of the unintended consequences rapid technological advancements can bring, such as reinforcing biases that could erode trust and lead to further inequitable outcomes.”
Julia Erdkamp, Executive Director of the California Statewide Automated Welfare System (CalSAWS) highlighted that artificial intelligence should empower the workers providing social services rather than replace them.
“I want to make it clear that the use of AI at CalSAWS is not about replacing our incredible and very dedicated workers at the counties,” said Erdkamp. “Instead, it’s about assisting them and making their jobs more efficient and really enhancing the services that we provide to our beneficiaries.”
The Commission expects to release reports later this year on the implementation of artificial intelligence in state operations and how artificial intelligence can be used to assist California’s vulnerable populations. To be notified electronically of meetings, events, or when these reviews are complete, please subscribe to Little Hoover Commission updates: https://bit.ly/LittleHooverNews.
