In July 2024, the Center for Public Sector AI, in collaboration with the Aspen Institute, hosted its inaugural flagship gathering, "Unlocking the 'Human' in Human Services." This significant event brought together state health and human services agency leaders and stakeholders from over 25 states and two federal agencies to discuss contemporary technologies and their potential applications within state systems. The gathering focused on pressing social service delivery issues and explored how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), could address these challenges.

This event followed CPSAI's open call process to identify and solicit innovative AI solutions addressing challenges highlighted by state leaders. We convened at a critical moment when many public sector systems fail to serve their intended purpose, facing issues like staffing shortages, aging tech infrastructure, fragmented service delivery, and limited resources. Addressing these challenges is essential for supporting and uplifting communities, and recent advances in generative AI offer transformative potential and provide opportunities for significant improvement in these areas.

Discussions at the event highlighted the potential for AI to improve decision-making accuracy, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance client experiences in social services. Key issues included inconsistencies in child welfare decisions, high compliance-related administrative loads, and inefficiencies in legacy systems. Structural workforce shortages and improving the overall experience for both clients and employees were also emphasized. Attendees discussed the risks of AI, such as biases in legacy data and the risks associated with replacing or augmenting human interactions, stressing the need for ethical guardrails and transparency in AI deployment.

Technical experts described the current moment as one of "chaotic good," noting that more people are engaged in these discussions than ever before, united by a common goal to minimize risks while maximizing positive impact. There was a strong focus on the potential for cross-sector and cross-state collaboration to drive advancements tailored to public sector needs, accelerate learning, and surface best practices.

CPSAI is building on the momentum generated in July to launch its 2025 strategy, focused on spurring new partnerships, growing safe spaces for exploration, driving the creation of evaluation frameworks and assessment tools, and building networks of support for HHS leaders.

2024 Rolling General Prompts

The 2024 Rolling General Prompts are an exciting opportunity for companies and organizations working with AI and other emerging tech solutions to share their ideas with states who are eager to explore its potential. If you have a solution or approach that addresses one or more of the rolling prompts listed below, we encourage you to submit it at any time. We will review submissions on a rolling basis beginning in August 2024 for inclusion in an ongoing product catalog we are building to support HHS leaders and their teams across the following four priority areas:

• Enhancing the Beneficiary Experience
• Workforce Support & Effectiveness
• Systemic Efficiency and Effectiveness
• Regulatory and Administrative Burden

By sharing your potential solution or approach as part of this process, you gain the opportunity to showcase your technologies to a broad audience of public sector decision-makers. This exposure highlights your emerging technology and provides your organization with the opportunity to be a part of a growing community of support for public sector leaders exploring artificial intelligence in benefit delivery systems.

If you have questions or would like additional information about the rolling prompt process, please contact us at info@CPSAI.org.