There’s an old saying:
“When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
It’s a reminder that tools are only useful when they match the job. A hammer is great… for driving nails. But it’s not much help with screws or bolts.
That same idea applies to technology, in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI).
AI is powerful. It’s flexible. It’s seemingly the answer to every problem. But when you treat it like a one-size-fits-all solution, you risk making your situation worse. That’s why, at RELI, we believe in Mission-First AI Innovation that puts purpose and intent before tools.
Start with the Mission, Not the Model
It’s easy to get caught up in the hype: machine learning, generative AI, neural networks. But even the best technology won’t help if it’s not aligned to what you’re trying to achieve.
Are you trying to detect fraud, waste and abuse in benefit programs?
Are you trying to reduce wait times for patients seeking care?
Are you trying to help public health officials respond faster to outbreaks?
These are mission goals. They’re the reason government exists. And they’re the reason we build AI solutions.
We’ve seen this play out in real life. In our work with agencies, we’ve helped use advanced technologies to:
- Spot unusual billing patterns in healthcare claims that might signal fraud.
- Assist airport security agents by flagging anomalies in scanned images.
- Help customer service teams respond faster by summarizing case histories in real time.
In each case, the mission came first. We chose specific technology to support the mission, not the other way around.
Use-Case Driven, Not Tech-Driven
We don’t use AI because it’s trendy. We use it because, applied to the right problems, it is the best tool for the job.
We start by understanding the challenge, the stakeholders and the desired outcome. Then we look at how technology (increasingly AI) can help. That’s the foundation of RELI’s Applied AI services: practical, mission-first applications that deliver measurable impact.
Sometimes that means automating a repetitive task. Sometimes it means helping humans make better decisions. Sometimes it means doing something that wasn’t possible before.
For example, in public health, we’re exploring how AI can analyze unstructured data, like provider notes and medical claims, to detect early signs of fraud, waste and abuse.
In some cases, AI is helping us do things that simply aren’t possible by people acting alone.
Augmentation + Automation
There’s a lot of talk about AI replacing jobs. And yes, there is that risk in some instances. But augmentation can be just as powerful as automation. Using AI to increase individual and team productivity, along with decreasing error rates, are just a couple ways that AI can support people in doing their jobs better rather than replacing them.
In high-stakes environments like healthcare and national security, human judgment is critical. AI can help by handling the administrative stuff like sorting data, flagging anomalies, generating summaries so people can focus on what matters most. In addition, AI can help identify important areas that might otherwise be missed. Partnering AI with people is a powerful combination that can achieve more than either could alone.
We’ve worked with agencies where AI helps analysts sift through millions of records in seconds. That’s not about cutting headcount. It’s about increasing throughput and precision.
When done right, AI becomes a teammate. It helps people do their work better.
Human-in-the-Loop: Keeping People in Control
Even the smartest AI can make mistakes. Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) keeps people involved in every step of the decision-making process. They review outputs, validate results, and make the final call.
This is especially important in government, where decisions can affect people’s health, safety, and livelihoods.
Whether it’s approving a benefit claim, flagging a security risk, or responding to a citizen inquiry, we make sure that AI supports human oversight.
Real-World Examples, Real-World Impact
Let’s look at a few examples of Mission-First AI in action:
- Healthcare Claims Review: AI models help identify patterns in claims data that might indicate fraud or abuse. These patterns are often too subtle for traditional systems to catch. But with AI, analysts can narrow their focus to work on the cases that matter most.
- Airport Security: Computer vision models assist agents by highlighting anomalies in scanned images. This helps agents flag the higher risk cases without slowing down the screening process.
- Citizen Inquiries: Generative AI helps staff respond to routine inquiries by drafting responses and suggesting next-best actions. This frees up time for complex cases that need human attention.
In each case, AI is automating some aspects of the work while supporting the people delivering the mission. This is a powerful combination that allows agencies to deliver better and faster services.
Why Mission-First Matters More Than Ever
Government agencies are under pressure to do more with less. Budgets and headcount are shrinking. Expectations are increasing. And the pace of change is faster than ever.
AI can help but only if it’s aligned with the mission.
When agencies adopt AI without a clear purpose, they risk wasting time, money, and trust. But when they start with the mission, they build solutions that are practical, measurable, and meaningful.
That’s why we emphasize Mission-First AI Innovation in everything we do. To fully realize AI’s potential, agencies must be open to rethinking and evolving their existing processes. Too often, AI is layered onto rigid workflows, limiting its impact. We work with agencies to identify and recommend the process changes needed to ensure AI delivers real, lasting value in service of their mission.
Conclusion: Purpose Is Power
At RELI, we believe that the best use of AI starts with the mission. It begins with a clear goal, supports human expertise, and delivers real-world results.
You can use a hammer to build a house… or break a window. It’s not the tool that determines the outcome, but the person using it. When guided by mission, ethics, and expertise, it becomes a tool for building something lasting.
That’s why we focus on aligning AI with purpose. Not just to solve today’s problems, but to help agencies build systems that are resilient, responsive, and ready for the future.
Because Mission-First AI isn’t just about using technology. It’s about using it wisely, intentionally, and always in service of the public good.
