In one of our blogs, we've delved into the scope of Generative AI and its impact on the realm of government procurement. This time around, we invite you to explore which are the 3 states in the United States that have implemented the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and are spearheading its development in the region.
The U.S. is ranked as the country with the highest readiness to implement AI in the public sector, scoring particularly high in the categories of AI vision and AI governance and ethics. The U.S.’ only real competitor is China, also wielding enormous resources and backed by a focused state apparatus determined to reach the first spot. So let’s see which States are leading the US' AI efforts!
1) California:
There's no doubt that the Golden State is included in this ranking. California has always been a technological epicenter, both in the private and public sectors. For instance, it has implemented AI in #healthcare, #transportation, and #wildfire management.
In the healthcare sector, Covered California, the primary government healthcare provider for the state of California, has embarked on utilizing artificial intelligence to validate customer eligibility for subsidies. With over 1 million documents reviewed annually to ascertain subsidy eligibility, the department aims to transition this task to AI technology. This AI system will scan and enhance document images, identify document types, extract relevant information, and seamlessly integrate with the California Healthcare Eligibility, Enrollment, and Retention System (CalHEERS). CalHEERS is the platform powering Covered California's consumer-facing system for affordable insurance, including Medi-Cal.
When it comes to transportation, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is working on developing AI-powered traffic management systems to analyze real-time traffic data, predict congestion patterns, and optimize traffic flow on highways and major roads. “The state currently uses technology to help analyze traffic data, but the agencies rely heavily on workers to decide what to do to improve the flow of traffic in real time. Generative AI could come up with better solutions,” explained Elizabeth Zima, former staff writer for Government Technology.
Finally, California's wildfire management efforts are supported by AI technologies that detect wildfires. The partnership between CAL FIRE’s Wildfire AI Detector and the University of California, San Diego’s AlertCalifornia utilizes AI to monitor over 1,000 cameras throughout the state for wildfire detection, enabling CAL FIRE to respond more rapidly.
2) New York
On the other coast, we have the State of New York. The Empire State has implemented AI in areas such as #security, and #government strategy..
In 2023, the New York Police Department (NYPD) made headlines by leasing a K5 autonomous security robot manufactured by Knightscope, a California-based security camera and robotics company. The company asserts that the robot employs artificial intelligence to deliver real-time incident notifications to emergency personnel.
Furthermore, New York City presented its Artificial Intelligence Action Plan. “This Action Plan presents a set of concrete commitments, focused specifically on city government’s AI use, that advance the city’s capacity to leverage these powerful tools to benefit the public, and ensure we are doing so responsibly, with appropriate measures in place to mitigate varied risks”.
3) Texas
The Lone Star State is our third example of U.S. states that are leading the use of AI in the public sector, particularly in the areas of #employment, #legislation, and #transportation.
The Texas Workforce Commission introduced "Larry," a chatbot designed to assist Texans in applying for unemployment benefits. Similar to a next-generation FAQ page, Larry would address user-generated questions regarding unemployment cases. Leveraging AI language processing, the bot would identify the most suitable answer from pre written responses crafted by human staff, tailored to the user's specific phrasing of the question. Larry successfully responded to over 21 million inquiries before being succeeded by Larry 2.0 in March.
Furthermore, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan established a Committee on Artificial Intelligence tasked with proposing legislative changes in January 2025, coinciding with the commencement of the legislative session. This timing is significant as it follows the 2024 Presidential election, during which AI may play a pivotal role in influencing the outcome. The Texas advisory council on AI will concentrate on exploring how AI can enhance services within the state. During the inaugural council meeting, the Texas Department of Transportation briefed members on a pilot program utilizing AI to monitor traffic cameras and automatically dispatch emergency crews upon detecting accidents. Additionally, the department has significantly reduced the time required to generate invoices from weeks to mere seconds.
As the U.S. continues to lead in AI readiness and innovation, fueled by robust governance frameworks and strategic partnerships, it sets a precedent for global AI adoption and underscores the importance of responsible AI deployment to benefit society as a whole. With these states at the forefront, the future of AI in the public sector promises unprecedented efficiency, responsiveness, and service delivery for citizens across the nation.
This blog was written by Gisela Montes, GovTech Community Lead at Glass.