California Launches AI Initiatives Geared Toward Improving Government Services

Saying that the state is “at the forefront of AI technology,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently announced a number of new AI-related initiatives designed to improve California’s government operations.

In 2023, Newsom issued an executive order directing California state agencies and departments to develop a report examining the most significant and beneficial uses of GenAI in the state, and to deploy AI “ethically and responsibly throughout state government.”

In the two-plus years since Newsom put forth that directive, the California Department of Human Resources, Office of Data and Innovation, and Department of Technology have developed more than 20 trainings on AI for state employees, including trainings on responsible AI adoption, a five-course AI “certificate” and AI boot camps, according to a statement from Newsom’s office.

As that statement noted, the state of California is also collaborating with UC Davis, Sacramento State and Cisco to offer trainings on GenAI adoption, ethics and governance. The California Department of Technology has launched new emerging technology fellowship programs with the University of California’s Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute (CITRIS) and with Stanford’s McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society.

Among the recently announced efforts designed to accelerate responsible AI use in California government is the new AI tool, Poppy. Built on GenAI large language models and meant specifically for state government use, Poppy is designed to provide additional security through the state’s network.

Poppy includes “pre-built, easy-to-use queries tailored to common state business needs, facilitating more reliable, trustworthy outcomes,” according to Newsom’s office, which says that 20 state departments are already involved in its development and testing.

“We want to empower every state employee to be able to leverage AI to support their work. This tool is built around our statewide business processes, aligned with our values and designed to make government work more efficiently,” said State Chief Information Officer and California Department of Technology Director Liana Bailey-Crimmins, in a statement.

“Poppy can accelerate GenAI adoption across California and enable our teams to focus on what matters most—delivering real results for the people we serve.”