Dive Brief:
- A striking 82% of state chief information officers say their employees are using generative AI in their daily work, up from 53% in 2024, according to a recent survey by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.
- Most states are taking a “low-risk” approach to AI with pilot projects (90%), proofs of concept (86%), state employee training (71%) and the use of AI in a sandbox environment (51%), the survey found.
- While AI adoption is growing, only 25% of state CIOs reported having dedicated funding for AI. “We are seeing a surprising push back against AI ... more than those that are willing and interested to use it,” one state CIO stated. “This simply adds a bit more of a challenge to adopt and leverage it.”
Dive Insight:
Most states are using AI for internally facing projects focused on improving workplace efficiency and service delivery, according to NASCIO.
States currently use generative AI for tasks such as drafting, reviewing and summarizing policy documents, legislation and contracts, as well as streamlining employee onboarding and administrative tasks. Technical teams are also using AI for code generation and review and cybersecurity event analysis, according to the survey.
At the same time, states are also beginning to explore AI for public-facing services, such as chatbots and virtual assistants.
“Clearly, GenAI is becoming embedded across core government functions, and the future is in citizen services,” NASCIO stated.
The debate over AI regulation heated up this year as Congress considered a 10-year moratorium on state oversight of the technology. That proposal was eventually dropped, and California adopted the nation’s first significant state safety regulations for AI.
State CIOs expressed “broad support” for federal baseline regulations that set clear national standards for AI. They also championed federal funding to support AI innovation. But they pushed back against moratoriums that limit state regulation power, as well as “overly prescriptive mandates” that are “disconnected from the pace of technology.”
