Technology
Budget worries prevent more IT modernization, survey says
State and local leaders want to modernize their legacy systems, but uncertainty over federal funding is stymieing their progress, an EY survey shared exclusively with Route Fifty found.
‘More research needed’ on regulating human and AI relationships
Chatbots can provide companionship in certain situations, but speakers at a recent event said much more work is needed to understand and mitigate the risks, as well as educate users.
Lawmakers highlight success, bipartisan agreement on school cellphone bans
A recent House hearing showcased success at the state and district level as the bans gather steam nationwide. But Democrats warned that reduced federal funding for education will not help improve educational outcomes.
Vocational rehabilitation programs are in jeopardy — here's how digital wallets can help
COMMENTARY | Funding for individuals with disabilities seeking meaningful employment is under threat. Digital wallets can help track participant spending and reduce administrative burden.
‘All in on AI’: Shapiro, Amazon announce $20B AI investment in Pennsylvania
Gov. Josh Shapiro said the investment is the largest private-sector investment in the history of the commonwealth.
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Direct File is 'beloved by its users,' internal IRS report says
The IRS is reportedly ending the Direct File, but a report obtained via the Freedom of Information Act says that 94% of users rated their experience as “excellent” or “above average.”
Texas lawmakers pull funding for child identification kits again after newsrooms report they don’t work
For the second legislative session, lawmakers have withdrawn funding for a company selling kits that promise to help find missing kids after ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reported there’s no evidence to support that claim.
‘Little tech’ lobby starts campaign against AI regulation bills
The American Innovators Network is warning about unintended consequences of the RAISE Act and other legislation regulating AI companies.
‘Trust is the currency’ in local government, and tech can help build it
Leaders must think about programs and their goals first and then use technology to help them get there, but when done right, it becomes vital help, speakers at a recent conference said.
Uber’s new shuttles look suspiciously familiar to anyone who’s taken a bus
Beyond the jokes about Uber inventing bus lines are serious questions about what its shuttle service will mean for struggling transit systems, air quality, and congestion.
Featured eBooks
Government transformation can succeed, if we stop setting projects up to fail
COMMENTARY | What three state projects can tell us about why major checkpoints in government transformation rarely work as intended.
California to get new planned supercomputer
The latest public-private sector collaboration between the Department of Energy, NVIDIA and Dell brings the new Doudna supercomputer to Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory to pursue advancements across emerging tech and scientific fields.
California Forever’s planned Bay Area city faces many regulatory hurdles. Can it succeed?
The CEO of the billionaire-backed company believes the plan for a new 400,000-person city near San Francisco can triumph, despite California’s restrictive environmental regulations and local pushback.
More people, better tools: The two-part strategy for stronger state tech
COMMENTARY | States are recruiting experienced federal workers, but without the right tools to scale up, even strong teams risk falling short on the digital services residents expect.
How Idaho uses data to fill in-demand jobs
The Idaho LAUNCH scholarship program grants students up to $8,000 to cover tuition and fees at eligible institutions, if they are looking to be trained in an area that needs more workers.
AI is moving fast. Climate policy provides valuable lessons for how to keep it in check
COMMENTARY | Existing efforts to regulate AI share a limitation: they’re built around intended use, not the messy, creative and often unintended ways it is actually being used.
New York lawmakers ask House GOP not to block AI regulations
New York has regulated AI companies when Congress has failed to do so – but House Republicans hope to put a stop to that.
Tech is driving the New York City economy, new report finds
The Center for an Urban Future found that 30 years after establishing a foothold, the industry could soon rival Silicon Valley in size.
Chattanooga to establish nation’s first quantum tech center
The center, backed by the EPB public utility and others, will serve as a quantum networking and computing hub and help develop applications for the technology.
Building modern paid family and medical leave programs
COMMENTARY | How agile development, human-centered design and an API-first strategy drive success to ensure software always aligns with user needs.
