SBA · SBA-4 · record R3166

Internal OFO Chatbot Recommender

Small Business Administration · OFO: Office of Field Operations

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 high impact: This AI system does not meet the criteria of any of the six pillars that make up High Impact AI in Memorandum M-25-21.
Start date: 2026-01-01 (day precision)Source: 01/01/2026 00:00:00
Withheld from public reporting: NoSource: a) No

Mission

Topic area: Administrative Functions
Operational functions: Chatbot or virtual assistant Derived by keyword rules; see methodology

Problem the AI is intended to solve

OFO agents need quick access to relevant policy documents and guidance materials to efficiently respond to inquiries without manually searching through knowledge repositories.

Expected benefits

Faster response times for agents, more consistent guidance provided to clients, reduced time searching for information, and improved quality of service delivery.

System outputs

OFO agents will access the chatbot via the desired internal website interface, initiating conversations by typing inquiries. The chatbot analyzes inputs and provides approved documents as relevant recommendations.

Technology

AI classification: Classical / predictive MLSource: Classical/Predictive Machine Learning: Models trained on data to make predictions or classifications based on identified patterns or relatio…
System name(s): Internal OFO Chatbot Recommender
Custom-developed code: Yes
Public source code: Not publicly available - Government internal use code

Sourcing

How it was built: Developed in-houseSource: b) Developed in-house
Vendor (as reported): In-house development
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: Yes
Privacy Impact Assessment: Not publicly available
Authorization to Operate: Yes
Demographic features: Not applicable - System does not involve individual-level decision-making
Training and evaluation data: Internally-created Question-Response data along with call center transcripts and knowledge bank information.
Federal Data Catalog: Not applicable - Internal agency data not publicly disclosed

Governance

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

Pre-deployment testingReported in progressSource: b) In-progress

AI impact assessmentReported in progressSource: b) In-progress

Independent reviewReported in progressSource: d) In-progress

Ongoing monitoringReported in progressSource: b) Development of monitoring protocols is in-progress

Operator trainingReported in progressSource: b) Establishment of sufficient and periodic training is in-progress

Fail-safeNot applicableSource: b) Not applicable

Appeal processNot applicableSource: b) Not applicable

User and public consultationReported in progressSource: Planning includes direct usability testing during pilot phase, establishment of feedback mechanisms, and consultation with end users and stakeholders throughout development.Flag: free-text answer

Potential impacts and how they were identified

Potential impacts include consistency of information provided to stakeholders. Impacts identified through user testing and accuracy reviews. Mitigation includes human oversight and feedback mechanisms.