Artificial Intelligence
These stories will explore what state and local government officials need to consider when developing policies on the use of artificial intelligence (AI). This will include analysis of where traditional AI, as well as generative AI, can contribute to the mission of government, and what guardrails should be put in place around its use.
Lawmakers want to prevent chatbots capable of human-like conversations from encouraging teens to hurt themselves or engaging in sexual interactions with kids.
Los Angeles CIO Ted Ross faces many challenges, including a substantially reduced staff, but manages to revamp entire city functions nonetheless.
A yearlong trial across 14 agencies saved an average of 95 minutes per day and improved workflows. Now state officials are broadening access to AI tools as local governments prepare to follow suit.
Floods are frequent, unpredictable and expensive. Fremont, Calif., is one of the first cities to secure flood insurance designed using AI.
Federal lawmakers are expected to return to the idea, despite cutting it from the budget reconciliation bill.
With $29 billion in AI funding in the first half of 2025, San Francisco is seeing office space fill, tech events multiply and public debate intensify over AI’s risks and rewards.
The administration’s strategy accelerates permitting for AI infrastructure while threatening to withhold federal support from states that impose their own rules on ethics, equity, or content standards.
Senators voted 99-1 to strike the ban from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It would have blocked state and local governments from regulating AI for a decade.
Getting ticketed by AI cameras using license plate data was never popular. Now there are concerns about financial mismanagement and a lawsuit between vendors that ran the program in Mississippi.
A provision in the federal budget bill would bar states from taking any action on AI. This would derail careful legislation designed to promote the technology while offering needed safeguards.
Cities are banning landlords from setting rental prices based on algorithms and non-public data, which tenants complain have led to drastic spikes.
There are lessons for other states in Colorado, where policymakers are struggling to walk back legislation that would do more harm than good.
Under pressure from business groups and the governor, the California Privacy Protection Agency watered down AI safeguards in areas such as targeted advertising.
In contrast to what’s going on in Washington, state and local leaders are leveraging the technology to make government genuinely work better.
For now, AI is helping plant operators scan through thousands of pages of compliance documents. Its uses could expand.
Philadelphia, San Francisco and Berkeley, Calif., have also banned algorithms that can lead to price-gouging, with similar proposals brewing in other major cities.
The course of legislation in Virginia and Texas suggests a way forward in regulating AI without stifling innovation.
Trump repealed a Biden order calling for protection against bias. While companies welcome deregulation, some are concerned about the administration's six-month timeline to reshape guidelines.
Some programmers and engineers are willing to forego private-sector pay to find meaningful work. But governments need to be more nimble about hiring.
The Department of Education denied an application from a cyber charter school that would have been part of a multistate network. Classes would have been led by AI tutors with humans serving as “guides.”
AI caused less damage through misinformation or election administration than predicted in 2024. New laws meant to combat political deepfakes, meanwhile, went largely unenforced.
Even the most basic computing tasks require electrical power. The level of computing that drives today’s economy is far from basic.
Artificial intelligence systems require consistent monitoring and staffing to put in place and to keep them working well. The need for people and more machines to make sure new tools don’t mess up is leading to increased costs for hospitals.
Last year, about a quarter of all health insurance claims were denied in California. A new law blocks coverage denials made solely through artificial intelligence.
All but two states completed a review, but only 22 states reached or surpassed the recommended minimum levels of security in their systems.
Trump will take a largely deregulatory approach to tech, while aiming to aggressively pursue foreign cyber threat actors.
Innovation must come with transparency, safeguards and human oversight. We need to deploy the technology in ways that enhance rather than erode public confidence in the justice system.
Future in Context
The Gates Foundation’s Allan Golston outlines a vision for equitable opportunities and the future of the American dream. As the transformative power of generative AI becomes clear, equitable access to education and jobs remains crucial.
The AI revolution presents great opportunities for cities with the right combination of strengths. Pittsburgh is showing what’s possible.
Schools across the nation are encouraging students to use artificial intelligence. In San Diego, Calif., teachers help students learn the benefits and consequences of AI use in daily life.
Fear and confusion in the aftermath of disasters create fertile ground for misinformation. Social media and AI can amplify it, but there are ways to weather the storm.
