DOI · DOI-0012 · record R2733

ePermits: Chatbot Implementation and Permit Application Wizard Tools

Department of the Interior · FWS

Overview

Development stage: In development or acquisitionSource: a) Pre-deployment – The use case is in a development or acquisition status.
High-impact designation: Not high-impactSource: c) Not high-impact
Impact justification: Not reported
Start date: Not reported
Withheld from public reporting: NoSource: a) No

Mission

Topic area: Service Delivery
Operational functions: Chatbot or virtual assistant, Search and knowledge retrieval Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

Users face significant difficulties when interacting with the system due to a lack of personalized experiences, delayed and imprecise query responses, poor application form guidance, and an overall unintuitive user interface—resulting in reduced efficiency, increased errors, and lower user satisfaction.

Expected benefits

Enhance functionality, improve user experience, assist in acceleration of ePermits processing and align with modern technological and security standards to support mission of conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats

System outputs

Natural Language Responses, Intent Recognition & Routing, Dynamic Form Assistance, Knowledge Base Integration, Contextual Follow-ups, Escalation to Human Agent, Multimodal Outputs. We do not use agentic AI systems in our permit processing workflows. All AI-assisted recommendations are subject to human review and approval. A qualified human reviewer will always be involved in the final decision-making process to ensure accuracy, accountability, and compliance with regulatory standards.

Technology

AI classification: Natural language processingSource: Natural Language Processing: AI that processes, interprets, and shares information in human language.
System name(s): Not reported
Custom-developed code: No
Public source code: Not reported

Sourcing

How it was built: Not reported
Vendor (as reported): Not reported
Vendors (standardized): None on the standard list

A vendor is the supplier named by the agency. It does not identify the underlying model or AI technology.

Data and privacy

Involves PII: No
Privacy Impact Assessment: Not reported
Authorization to Operate: No
Demographic features: Not reported
Training and evaluation data: Not reported
Federal Data Catalog: Not reported

Governance

0 of 8 minimum-practice questions answered. A blank answer means the agency reported nothing; it does not mean the practice is absent.

Pre-deployment testingNo answer reported

AI impact assessmentNo answer reported

Independent reviewNo answer reported

Ongoing monitoringNo answer reported

Operator trainingNo answer reported

Fail-safeNo answer reported

Appeal processNo answer reported

User and public consultationNo answer reported

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Not reported