This Week in Government Technology – October 13th – 20th, 2024

AI and Government Procurement Procedures

Civic Marketplace, a Texas-based government technology supplier, has partnered with the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) to provide local governments with AI-driven procurement solutions. This platform aims to streamline the complex and time-consuming procurement process. Enabling agencies to streamline contracting, compliance requirements, and improve overall process transparency. Further emphasizing this trend, NASCIO released a report summarizing discussions from its recent conference. The report consolidates the experiences of CIOs across the country, offering recommendations for using AI to improve public sector procurement efficiency.

State Initiatives in AI

Pennsylvania hosted its first “AI Horizons” summit, led by Governor Josh Shapiro, which marked a significant step in advancing AI in the state. Gov. Shapiro signed a collaborative agreement between Nvidia, the Pennsylvania state government, and research institutions, forming an AI research alliance focused on healthcare advancements. The summit, which convened 400 state policymakers alongside private sector and academic leaders, highlighted Pennsylvania’s collaboration with OpenAI, which reportedly increased state worker productivity through ChatGPT-assisted workflows.

Virginia finalized and announced the members of its AI Task Force, first formed earlier this year, as part of its broader efforts to harness AI responsibly. Meanwhile, the CTO of Washington, D.C. discussed D.C.’s “any door” initiative with Government Technology, highlighting how AI technologies are improving access to services, especially by tailoring online services to better meet individual needs.

Vermont and Connecticut’s AI inventory reports were also in the spotlight. These reports, recently analyzed by Government Technology, show that both states primarily use AI to enhance efficiency behind the scenes rather than in direct citizen interactions. Inspired by these efforts, a San Francisco supervisor has introduced legislation requiring the public release of a comprehensive inventory detailing how the city uses AI technology.

Federal AI Developments

At the federal level, the General Services Administration (GSA) integrated AI-driven facial recognition technology into the government-wide login service Login.gov earlier this month. However, this week brought reports of technical issues, with the Government Accountability Office stating that the facial recognition technology may not be compliant with government identification standards.

The U.S. Army announced its plans to scale up non-defense-related uses of generative AI, focusing on reducing administrative burdens and improving efficiency. The Customs and Border Patrol’s (CBP) AI strategy reveals CBP’s expanding use of AI for day-to-day administrative tasks and field operations, including translation and video analysis. The Department of Veterans Affairs also joined the federal AI wave by piloting two new AI chatbots to enhance administrative workflow efficiency.

Private Sector AI and Government Relations

In private sector news, the CEO of Scale AI, a leading generative AI startup, published an open letter urging congressional leaders to play a more proactive role in regulating AI. The letter called for increased funding for AI safety research, the establishment of standard data quality requirements for federal AI projects, and a clearer definition of roles for those working on AI deployment across the public and private sectors.

This push for regulation coincided with a new report from the Department of Labor, which recommended best practices for private companies integrating AI into daily workflows. The guidelines emphasize ensuring that AI implementations “expand equality, advance equity, develop opportunity, and improve job quality” as AI adoption grows.