Opinion
Ms. Noveck was New Jersey’s first chief A.I. strategist.
TL;DR
- New Jersey used an AI tool to identify over 100,000 children eligible for summer grocery benefits without families filling out forms.
- California used AI to analyze public feedback after wildfires, leading to new plans for infrastructure improvements and emergency communications.
- The British government used AI to process thousands of public comments in hours, a task that would typically take weeks.
- Training government employees in AI can enhance their ability to listen, learn, and serve constituents more effectively.
- Pennsylvania found that AI tools saved state employees an average of 95 minutes per day on tasks like drafting and research.
- Lack of AI training can lead to risks, as demonstrated by a child protection worker in Australia who failed to recognize AI errors.
- Intelligent regulation of AI requires government staff to understand the technology.
- AI can help repair institutions and restore public trust in democracy.
- Addressing the misuse and reckless deployment of AI is crucial, but should not halt its use for strengthening civic institutions.