State and local leaders can harness AI to deliver results

In late August, I joined fellow state and local leaders, tech experts, and innovators for a virtual summit to explore how artificial intelligence can improve government. 

The discussion left me more optimistic than ever about the power of smart, ethical AI to modernize our public systems, make government more efficient, and ensure we meet the needs of the people we serve.

From Connecticut to California, local leaders are seizing on the promise of AI to empower public workers. I came away from the conversation with three key ideas that elected leaders must embrace when it comes to incorporating AI technology: Targeted implementation, smart mitigation and a curious mindset.

Targeted Implementation

In my home state of Connecticut, we want everyone to benefit from the promise of AI. We’ve partnered with Google to offer an AI Certificate across the state, making tech credentials more accessible to people looking to build a new career or sharpen their skills. We’re creating a Teen AI Academy to train the next generation of thinkers and problem solvers. And we are hoping to launch a Small Business AI Academy to help local entrepreneurs thrive in this new era.

On the other side of the country, San Jose, California Mayor Matt Mahan is focused on training city employees on AI. In partnership with San Jose State University, the city launched a 10-week AI skill-building curriculum specifically designed for city employees. More than 100 employees have already completed the voluntary program, and the results speak for themselves. 

Their budget team is using a custom-built AI tool to quickly analyze complex documents, saving valuable hours. The transportation department used AI to streamline grant applications and secure funding for electric vehicle chargers. Others in the government are using AI to help categorize 311 calls and route them to the correct city agency, saving hundreds of hours of staff time. These aren’t theoretical improvements — they’re real efficiencies with measurable improvements in productivity.

Mitigate Negative Impacts

While new technologies tend to create more jobs than they displace, we cannot ignore the displacement impacts across many sectors. Studies show that many of the jobs most at risk, like customer service, administrative and other gateway roles, are disproportionately held by women and people of color. That’s why Connecticut and other states are focused on outreach for upskilling programs to communities that need it most, including equity-focused partnerships, to ensure no one is left behind. 

Assemblymember Alex Bores of New York shared how his state passed legislation to ensure no public employees are laid off because of AI adoption. The law increased enthusiasm among workers to engage with the technology. His team is even using AI to analyze and streamline New York’s entire legal code, identifying outdated or redundant regulations to help modernize the policies across the state.

Critics of AI rightly point to the environmental impact of the new technology, including both the energy demands and water usage at data centers. Mayor Mahan acknowledged the challenges while noting that newer technologies can reduce water usage at data centers by up to 90 percent. Many cities and states have aggressive sustainability goals, and it is incumbent on elected officials to ensure that new data centers are embracing the newest technologies. 

Curiosity is Key

In order to embrace the technology, elected officials need to learn about it. Elected officials must know that 20th-century solutions do not work in a 21st-century world. We cannot afford to be stagnant, lest our constituents get left behind. 

Organizations like NewDEAL Forum offer platforms where elected officials and experts can come together and discuss issues like how to embrace AI technology in a smart, ethical way. I’m also involved in other efforts around this issue, including serving as vice chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Privacy. By working with my colleagues across the nation, we can learn from each other with the end goal of embracing AI in a way that makes government work better. 

In addition, groups like InnovateUS offer courses and workshops about responsible AI that are both free and self-paced. Companies like Microsoft have tools that are designed for public officials. Representatives from industry shared with us that many public-sector employees are still using publicly-available AI, like ChatGPT, despite more secure options that cities and states can embrace that have enhanced data protection capabilities. 

We’re just scratching the surface of how AI can improve government operations. Yet even at its relative infancy, AI can help public agencies do more with less — saving taxpayer dollars while improving services. And we must do it the right way: with transparency, guardrails, a commitment to equity, and a relentless focus on serving people better.

As an elected official, I’m proud to work alongside forward-thinking leaders in the NewDEAL network who are leading the charge on AI — not with fear, but with purpose. We’re proving that local innovation can meet this moment and help build a more effective, inclusive, and future-ready democracy.

James Maroney is a member of NewDEAL Leaders and serves as state senator from Connecticut’s 14th District. In addition, Maroney led the creation of a bipartisan, multistate working group on AI and serves as vice chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Privacy.