Harris County Solidifying Approach to New Tech and AI

The Harris County Universal Services (HCUS) division is solidifying efforts to harness AI, electric vehicle technology, cyber technology and drones to drive its constituent services and workforce forward.

It is vetting novel technologies to see which ones the Office of Innovation and innovation lab will tackle.

“The Office of Innovation represents our efforts to harness the power of innovation to address complex challenges and seize new opportunities,” said HCUS Executive Director and CIO Sindhu Menon in an emailed statement. “The lab will serve as a hub for experimentation, ideation and co-creation, bringing together diverse stakeholders from across sectors to tackle pressing issues and drive meaningful impact.”

The lab is “a dynamic space dedicated to fostering creativity, collaboration and accelerated advancements … the launch marked a significant milestone in the department’s commitment to driving innovative changes within local government,” she said.

To start, the lab’s April launch event featured a half-day AI cohort featuring presentations from Gartner, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Dell Technologies and Google, which highlighted public-sector generative AI (GenAI) use cases.

“Our goal is to be a leader and learner in these technology spaces,” Menon said. “So many agencies across the country are experimenting and working with these novel technologies, and we plan to be part of the conversation.”

The office and lab run on existing HCUS staff expertise and existing resources, with senior manager Ajay Sarpeshkar overseeing day-to-day operations along with a project manager and a data analyst.

The county wants to source “forward-thinking talent from within, reorganizing their roles, to make this a homegrown institute with people who are passionate about Harris County and its future,” a spokesperson said.

It has begun the intake process to determine which projects it will undertake in the GenAI space. It will explore other novel technologies, share knowledge and streamline business efficiencies.