VA Disability Benefits: Opportunities and Challenges with Modernizing Technology and Adopting AI

On July 13, 2026, Sterling Thomas, Director, U.S. Government Accountability Office, testified about the Department of Veterans Affairs' efforts to modernize the technology for its disability compensation program before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Technology Modernization.
The testimony is based on:
• VA Disability Benefits: Compensation Program Could Be Strengthened by Consistently Following Leading Reform Practices
• Artificial Intelligence: Generative AI Use and Management at Federal Agencies
• Artificial Intelligence: An Accountability Framework for Federal Agencies and Other Entities

We also discuss recommendations we’ve made.