Artificial intelligence

Generative AI could save governments nearly $1.8T annually

A report says that U.S. governments could see more than $500 billion in productivity gains. Those with a “fast technology adoption curve” stand to benefit the most.

  • By Chris Teale

Government runs on a 64-year-old language. Could AI help change that?

COBOL is still relied on for many essential services. But as experts in the language retire, states are looking at new technologies and ways to change workplace culture to help ease the transition away from it.

  • By Chris Teale

How to use generative AI to improve operations while protecting sensitive data

COMMENTARY | Large language models like ChatGPT offer state and local agencies exciting new capabilities, but they also introduce new security risks.

  • By Mike Morper

Generative AI has ‘significant, beneficial’ uses for state government

A report from California on the technology found that it could improve performance and make services more accessible to residents, but risks must be mitigated.

  • By Chris Teale

Forget dystopian scenarios–AI is pervasive today, and the risks are often hidden

The explosion of generative AI tools like ChatGPT and fears about where the technology might be headed distract from the many ways AI affects people every day—for better and worse.

  • By Anjana Susarla, The Conversation

Misinformation, cybersecurity among top issues ahead of 2024 elections

State and local officials face a new threat from the proliferation of deepfakes and misinformation, driven by artificial intelligence.

  • By Chris Teale

AI could ease the ‘administrative muck’ delaying SNAP and other benefits

President Biden’s recent executive order specifically called for guidance in the emerging technology’s use in assistance programs. But experts warn that AI isn’t a silver bullet.

  • By Chris Teale

‘Early days’ for state-level response to Biden’s AI executive order

Experts urged state and local governments to be patient as it plays out at the federal level, pointing to an executive order from a decade ago that offers a cautionary tale.

  • By Chris Teale

AI-driven 911 translation saves first responders time, money

A Louisiana parish has turned to the technology to help translate emergency calls from a growing number of non-English speakers and amid a staffing shortfall.

  • By Chris Teale

AI-ready New York City focuses on workforce, procurement

The plan’s emphasis on building employee skills and updating its byzantine contracting lays the foundation for a unified city government ready to face new challenges.

  • By Chris Teale

Ending the deepfake threat to elections before it starts

Officials try to get ahead of misinformation created by AI before the 2024 elections.

  • By Harrison Cann

AI bots are helping 911 dispatchers with their workload

Artificial intelligence is quietly revolutionizing non-emergency calls in 911 dispatch centers.

  • By Amanda Hernández, Stateline
Featured eBooks
The Changing Transportation Landscape
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Generative AI in State and Local Government

New York City unveils AI action plan

The first of its kind for a major U.S. city, the strategy sets a framework for the responsible roll out of artificial intelligence by agencies.

  • By Chris Teale

States wrestle with AI-driven future

While artificial intelligence and generative AI offer exciting applications for government, state IT leaders remain concerned about the technology, its ethical uses and potential impacts.

  • By Chris Teale

What transportation officials need to consider when using AI

Artificial intelligence tools are proliferating in transportation. Two tech experts offer advice on how to approach the emerging technology.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

State CIOs look ahead to a collaborative, automated future

A survey of state technology leaders found that the CIO role has evolved from one concerned with building a state’s own tech infrastructure to one focused on acting as a broker of services. The change comes amid increasing automation, use of AI and cybersecurity challenges.

  • By Chris Teale

What is artificial intelligence? Legislators are still looking for a definition.

States grapple with understanding the technology so they can put rules in place.

  • By Madyson Fitzgerald, Stateline

Augmented, not artificial, intelligence should be government leaders’ priority

AI should be seen as a “co-pilot, not an autopilot,” said local officials at an event this week, adding that it could be crucial amidst a government workforce shortage.

  • By Chris Teale

AI will bring dramatic change in the next three years, say local government IT execs

But better training on the emerging technology is needed and should be mandatory, according to a new survey.

  • By Chris Teale

Why humans can’t trust AI: You don’t know how it works, what it’s going to do or whether it’ll serve your interests

COMMENTARY | People can trust each other because they understand how the human mind works, can predict people’s behavior and assume that most people have a moral sense. None of these things are true of AI.

  • By Mark Bailey, The Conversation

How generative AI is being used to put the humanity back into government

Non-English speaking residents of Minnesota can more easily access driver and vehicle services thanks to a new generative AI-based virtual assistant that automatically translates English into Hmong, Spanish and Somali.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz