Although the provision did not make the current bill, NASCIO believes Senate and House supporters will try again and attempt to add it to future legislation.
“We are not going to be complacent and stand by. We are going to continue to monitor this,” Robinson said.
He identified some other challenges for states adopting GenAI:
- Lack of enterprise governance
- Poor data quality and integrity
- Lack of training for state workforces
- Use of shadow GenAI by employees
- Budget constraints
- Limits of existing technical infrastructure
State governments continue to apply GenAI solutions primarily to business digital services and cybersecurity processes, Robinson said; 90% of state governments are running some sort of AI pilot, but they largely lack dedicated funding.
Local Governments Move Into AI Deployment
Adam Frumkin, CIO of the Franklin County (Ohio) Data Center and PTI Leadership Council chair, presented some insights into local government technology trends.
“Over the last six months, we have seen governments move beyond AI curiosity to real deployment, especially from a generative AI perspective,” Frumkin said.
Local governments are exploring AI opportunities that include:
- Streamlining citizen services
- Improving data analysis
- Reducing manual workloads
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But they face challenges in the areas of governance, risk management, ethics, procurement and workforce training, Frumkin said. To tackle these challenges, local governments are producing AI policies and appropriate-use guidelines, launching pilot projects and using predictive analytics.
“Citizen expectations are driving our transformation,” Frumkin said. “Citizens are now expecting government services to be more accessible, fast and intuitive.”
Strong digital services are now a trust and equity issue, he added. PTI’s research reveals that people do not trust government webpages. Governments can rebuild that trust with improved user experiences.
PTI will host its annual conference, the GOVIT Leadership Summit and Symposium, on Nov. 18-20 in Bloomington, Minn. This year’s theme is “Navigating Change in Uncertain Times: Let’s Solve Today’s Challenges — Together!” The conference “brings the local government IT community together to share leading practices and lessons learned and to dive into the emerging trends impacting government tech and service delivery,” according to PTI’s website.
Frumkin delivered the webinar insights in Alan R. Shark’s stead; the longtime PTI executive director retired in May after leading the institute for more than 20 years.
