GAO REPORTS POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF USING IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY ACROSS A VARIETY OF FEDERAL CIVILIAN AGENCIES

Washington, D.C. – A new report published last week from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that most civilian federal agencies are using or planning to use immersive technologies in their offices. In response to the GAO’s survey, 17 of the 23 civilian agencies reported activities involving immersive technologies in fiscal years 2022 and 2023, with 13 agencies reporting benefits from their use. Most agencies are using XR technologies for workforce training and public outreach, with some agencies reporting a better understanding of data, increased safety, and improved decision-making by utilizing immersive technology. 16 agencies also reported plans to expand their use of XR during the fiscal years 2024-2028 for data visualization and analysis, public outreach, and remote collaboration.

The XR Association, a leading trade association representing the growing ecosystem of augmented, mixed, and virtual reality companies, applauds the work done by the GAO to depict a comprehensive view of how federal agencies are using immersive technologies and their opinions of the work. The report comes two years after senators Todd Young (R-IN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) sent a joint letter to the GAO requesting an investigation into the adoption of immersive technologies across several federal civilian agencies and sectors.