Despite artificial intelligence’s potential to transform government, few public sector employees know how to use it, meaning agencies could be missing out on a new technological revolution.
And despite being major funders of technological innovation, governments are often late adopters of technology and unable to make major advances in efficiency, productivity and job satisfaction. But that’s not the case in New Jersey, where nearly 10,000 state employees are being trained on how to safely and responsibly harness AI to improve government services, and more are joining their ranks every day. Although New Jersey took an early lead, other states and governments at all levels can follow suit.
Public sector employees are eager to learn more about AI. We know because we asked them. Earlier this year, under the leadership of Governor Phil Murphy, New Jersey became the first state in the nation to launch a full investigation of his public staff to understand his views on AI.
More than 5,000 civil servants repliedand their wishes were clear. While 88% of respondents had little knowledge of AI and 79% said they did not use AI tools, they indicated a keen interest in learning. Seventy-three percent said they were eager to learn how to use these tools in their jobs, and the majority were optimistic about the technology’s potential.
But turning that optimism into results depends on empowering workers. AI, like any other technology, is just a tool. Without qualified workers trained in their use, the tools and their incredible potential will not be exploited.
To harness the full potential of AI, or any other technology, to improve government, we must start by training employees—the dedicated public servants who are closest to the programs and residents they serve.
As Jennifer Pahlka, founder of Code For America, a civic technology nonprofit, writes in her book Recoding America: “The government knows how to acquire technology. What we need to acquire are capabilities.
This need is why Governor Murphy made a leading engagement at national level train the state’s workforce in the responsible use of AI to provide the best possible service to the people of New Jersey.
In July, New Jersey spear a training program designed to teach public officials how to harness the power of AI and ensure that any use of it is safe, secure, respectful of resident privacy, unbiased, and consistent with state policies. Workers also learn to spot what Princeton computer science professor Arvind Narayanan calls “AI snake oil,” overrated tools that don’t work as advertised.
The online training, developed by the New Jersey Public Service Commission in partnership with InnovateUSis free, voluntary for all state employees and can be completed at your own pace. A similar version of the training is available for free on Innovate-US.org for any public sector employee.
This investment in skills development would not have been possible without the prior commitment of New Jersey’s public sector workers. This approach has guided our training efforts and the state’s AI task force, which recently released detailed recommendations on how New Jersey can ensure AI serves as a tool to improve government services, improve the lives of workers, and expand economic opportunity.
Rather than using a top-down process, we surveyed public and private sector workers to ensure this technology is used to empower workers and serve residents. We encourage other states to follow New Jersey’s lead, as projects often fail when mandated from above. For a technology to be successful, employees must play a role in shape how it is developed, tested and used to support their missions.
Working with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, the Office of Innovation used AI to help rewrite UI program emails into simple language. As a result, residents reacted 35% fasterspeeding up the delivery process.
At the ANCHOR Property Tax Program call center, the New Jersey Division of Taxation uses AI to analyze calls and generate better self-service menu options, leading to a 50% increase in number of calls successfully resolved.
More than just training to learn a specific technology, we must promote a culture of continuous learning and adaptation. A lifelong learning mentality will help ensure that government staff can continue to take advantage of new tools as they emerge and continue to improve service delivery.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. With trust in government nearby historic lowsthe government must do better. Fortunately, we have the technology to make accessing essential government services easier, more convenient and less stressful.
Just as the State of New Jersey developed and launched training for all state employees to leverage AI, we can do it again for the next emerging technology. As our survey showed, employees are eager to learn, so let’s give them the learning opportunities they’re looking for. The future of democracy could well depend on it.