Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way governments serve their communities — not by replacing people, but by empowering them.
As public agencies face increasing demands with limited resources, AI offers a strategic path forward: enhancing human capabilities, streamlining routine tasks and improving service delivery. Yet the real key to success lies not in the technology itself, but in how we prepare our workforce to use it. Here I will explore the urgent need for education, upskilling and thoughtful integration of AI tools to ensure that public employees, and the communities they serve, can thrive in an augmented future.
What Is Artificial Intelligence? Many people think of AI as a single, monolithic technology. In reality, AI encompasses a wide range of tools, functions and purposes. It’s not your co-workers being replaced, it’s a set of technologies designed to support and enhance human work (augmentation).
AI in Government: Purpose Over Hype Public agencies operate on minimalist budgets, which means AI adoption is strategic. Governments focus on technologies that create the best augmented employment environments — tools that help employees do their jobs better, not replace them. Despite rumors, AI isn’t taking over jobs or writing code independently. Even in companies investing billions into AI, a human is still at the end of the workflow ensuring everything runs smoothly.
How Jobs Will Evolve AI will change how we work, not whether we work. Employees will be able to focus on higher-priority issues while AI handles routine workflow tasks, such as processing forms or retrieving information quickly. This shift allows staff to take on more essential roles, improving efficiency and service delivery.
Benefits for the Public AI tools like chatbots empower residents to find answers on their own time, without waiting in line or using up personal leave to resolve everyday tasks. This leads to a more responsive, accessible government — one step closer to a utopia-like, on-demand public service model.
The Problem With the Hype AI has become a buzzword, often treated as a flashy concept rather than a practical tool. But like the car, computer and Internet, AI is here to stay. The real challenge is adoption; integrating AI into our systems and daily lives in meaningful ways.
Education and Training Gaps Unfortunately, education systems are slow to teach students how to use AI tools effectively and ethically. Meanwhile, current staff need training to understand AI, follow policies and use these tools responsibly. Employers are now tasked with implementing training programs, developing policies and providing guidance.
Solving the Training Challenge The solution is straightforward: train staff the same way we’ve always onboarded new employees. New hires should be prepared to work with AI from day one, while existing staff need upskilling to stay current. In some roles, AI operates behind the scenes and won’t require direct training, but understanding its presence and impact is still essential.
Join the Conversation at GovAI Summit Training will be one of many focus points at the upcoming GovAI Summit, Nov. 5-6. I’ll be joining Rich Oppenheim (deputy executive director, Regional Government Services Authority), Alice Marshall (senior training specialist, city of North Las Vegas, Nev.) and Orlando Leon (CIO, East Bay Municipal Utility District) to explore how we can expand AI education and training across the public sector.
Click here for more details on the upcoming GovAI Summit 2025.
Expanding AI Training for Public-Sector Success
Ahead of a public-sector AI summit, a government expert on the subject gives a primer on how the technology fits into agencies and what they'll need to do to successfully adopt it.
