The Office of Data and Innovation is piloting a new in-house tool in the hopes of better connecting residents to state and local government services.
The newly launched AI-powered digital assistant, called AskCA, streamlines the process of navigating the services associated with life events, such as job searches, starting businesses, family services and disaster recovery.
“Californians should not have to understand how government is organized just to get basic help," ODI Director Jeffery Marino said in a press release. "This digital assistant moves from traditional web search to a vision of a service-integrated tool, explaining services, streamlining logins and unifying department services into a single experience.”
According to the Wednesday announcement, the tool was created in the wake of the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, which were not only deadly and destructive, but also left residents with significant administrative challenges related to recovery efforts.
As part of the pilot, ODI is looking for “beta testers for the next phase of the project,” which will focus on refining the tool's outputs. Those testers must meet only two requirements: being at least 18 years old and being a resident of the state.
In other AI news, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 813 and Assembly Bill 1405; the former creates an independent AI model verification framework, while the latter creates a state registry for AI auditors and standards around the practice.
State Announces AI Government Services Wayfinder, New Evaluation Laws
California officials have announced the release of AskCA, an AI-powered pilot project meant to help constituents navigate the state and local web of available services. At the same time, two recently signed laws are poised to improve how AI models are evaluated.
