DSPS introduces artificial intelligence system to review occupational licenses

The Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services will use a Google artificial-intelligence program to perform data entry for the 240 occupations the agency regulates.

DSPS will use the Maverick AI platform, which relies on Google Cloud’s artificial-intelligence system, to automate certain data entry tasks, a step meant to free up staff to review applications and other work.

DSPS regulates many construction trades, along with workers in health care, hair care and other industries. The agency issues nearly a million licenses in a variety of fields every two years.

Certain parts of the licensing process — including the initial stages for many occupations — are still done by paper application. Staff employees review applications and supporting documents and enters them into an agency database manually. DSPS Secretary Dawn Crim said the technology will help eliminate certain antiquated parts of the agency’s occupational-licensing process. The department is in the early stages of installing the technology.

“Our staff work very, very hard, but they are doing their work with outdated systems and tools,” Crim said. “Our partnership with Google Cloud and MTX is a big step toward delivering our services in the way our customers expect in 2021.”