For generations, state and local leaders have embraced new tools to serve the public good. Today, artificial intelligence is the next technology poised to reshape how government operates and delivers services. This issue of Governing is dedicated to a simple but urgent idea: AI is not an IT project. It is a leadership imperative.
Across the country, agencies are experimenting with AI to streamline permitting, improve call center responsiveness, detect fraud, forecast infrastructure needs and make public services more accessible. The gains we are seeing so far are tangible, but too often, they’re not being realized across government organizations. When AI is left for the technical experts to grapple with, a lot of opportunity is untapped. The biggest questions about AI are not technical, they are civic. How do we use this technology to be better stewards of public resources? How can we use it to make us as efficient as possible so we can better serve residents? How do we protect privacy and preserve fairness?
As Kay Firth-Butterfield puts it in our new series Governing Luminaries, “Don’t leave AI to your chief technology officer or your chief AI officer.” That advice is a challenge to governors, mayors, legislators and agency heads. The decisions that shape AI’s impact sit squarely in the realm of executive and legislative leadership. There are critical questions about governance, procurement, workforce strategy, data sharing and ethics, just to name a few. When leaders engage early, they can align AI investments with community priorities, set clear guardrails, and build trust through transparent policies that advance shared values.
This also means investing beyond software. AI readiness requires modern data practices, clear rules for responsible use, and training for the public servants working alongside these systems. It requires partnerships with universities and vendors as well as community-based organizations. It also presents a great opportunity to pilot, learn and iterate. Most of all, it requires leaders to ask better questions: Where can AI expand access? Where might it amplify bias? What outcomes matter, and how will we know if we’re achieving them?
The stories and voices in this issue are meant to equip leaders with context and the confidence to engage fully in these discussions. AI will continue to evolve at a breathtaking speed. Governments that treat it as a leadership discipline grounded in transparency and shared values will be best positioned to harness it for the good of their communities.
The future of AI in government is being decided now. Leadership and full engagement at this critical moment will enable it to strengthen the public good.
