DHS used simulators and other immersive technologies to train nearly 10,000 of its employees in 2022 for law enforcement use-of-force training, transportation security training, and fire and emergency response training. Image: Andre Weening/Shutterstock.com
Most federal agencies already are using “immersive technologies” that integrate the physical environment with digital content for training and public outreach, and further plan to expand their use even amid concerns about cybersecurity and privacy, the GAO has said.
In a survey of 24 Cabinet departments and large independent agencies, excluding DoD, the GAO found 17 said they use virtual reality and similar technologies, with 16 planning additional uses. “Agencies reported a better understanding of data, increased safety, and improved decision making as the most beneficial aspects of using immersive technologies,” a said a report done in response to a request from Senate Commerce Committee members.
It said for example that DHS used simulators and other immersive technologies to train nearly 10,000 of its employees in 2022 for law enforcement use-of-force training, transportation security training, and fire and emergency response training. And the VA used immersive technologies as a tool for clinical staff to support mental health treatment, physical rehabilitation, and pain management.
“The most often cited challenges among agencies that have used or adopted the technologies were with meeting cybersecurity and privacy requirements and with high operation and maintenance costs. Agencies that do not plan to adopt or expand their use identified cybersecurity requirements as the most common barrier,” it said.
Immersive technologies may require a large amount of data processing and storage, potentially adding security concerns and risks to data privacy, GAO said, noting that cybersecurity has been on its high-risk list since 1997 and that in 2015 it expanded that category to include protection of personal information.
It added: “Immersive technologies are evolving and maturing frequently, with improved devices and new features added with each version. This pace of technology development may be difficult for federal agencies to keep pace with due to agencies’ acquisition processes and annual federal budgeting cycles.”
Because the report was a survey, the GAO did not make recommendations.
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