Artificial Intelligence
Los Angeles turns to AI to give public benefits enrollment a boost
A chatbot tool launched in Los Angeles County looks to help case workers more quickly and efficiently get vulnerable residents linked to social services.
States explore uneven approaches to AI regulations
New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli warned his state is unprepared to use the technology and needs more guardrails, while Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed a bill implementing guardrails in his state.
Governor rejects fast-track for small nuclear reactors at Arizona data centers
Katie Hobbs vetoes Arizona small modular nuclear reactor veto bill that would have exempted unproven technology from environmental review.
How local governments are keeping AI under control
In the absence of national legislation, such governments are increasingly adopting AI governance policies and practices on their own, one expert says.
Popular AIs head-to-head: OpenAI beats DeepSeek on sentence-level reasoning
COMMENTARY | Large language model AIs can ingest long documents and answer questions about them, but a key question is how well they ‘understand’ individual sentences in the documents.
‘AI is not the future; it is current’: Lawmakers examine how to make Pennsylvania an AI powerhouse
GOP lawmakers traveled to Pittsburgh for a hearing focused on all things artificial intelligence.
How AI is transforming state and local investigations
COMMENTARY | The technology can help process data quicker and sift through what can be distressing evidence. But agencies must tread carefully and have the right policies and training in place to be successful.
New Jersey taps the private sector to facilitate AI innovation and talent
Under two new programs, the state aims to leverage the private sector to help advance its goal of leading in artificial technology innovation.
‘Water is complicated’: Utah looks to data-driven future for natural resources
The state is embarking on a management refresh for its Great Salt Lake amid competing oversight and the ever-present threat of drought. Tech and AI could help make that revamp easier.
Oregon House passes bill to criminalize sharing AI-generated fake nude photos
State law already prohibits maliciously sharing naked or sexually explicit photos of people, but prosecutors said their hands were tied by deepfakes.
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States turn to tech in push for safer roads
California wants to use artificial intelligence to work out where its road deaths are and how to prevent them. And New York has turned to the tech to try and prevent over-height vehicles hitting bridges.
Bipartisan bill calls for NOAA to use AI to forecast wildfires and extreme weather
The bill’s introduction comes amid Trump administration efforts to scale back the agency’s workforce and operations.
How cities are making data-driven decisions in the age of AI
For almost a decade, What Works Cities has helped cities understand how to use the data they collect to improve outcomes. The advent of AI has accelerated much of that mission.
Lawmakers fear AI data centers will drive up residents’ power bills
Roughly a dozen proposals in state legislatures nationwide seek to ensure that data centers don’t result in increased rates for other electric customers.
‘Hard, unglamorous work’ now can mean AI success later, city leaders say
Use cases for the technology are multiplying and now include areas like storm and wildfire prediction. But first, cities must make sure their data is clean and employees are on board.
Call centers continue to field AI-generated 911 calls
Some personal and home devices can automatically call 911 when they detect potentially unsafe conditions. For dispatchers, leveraging tech could be key to handling a rise in those alerts.
Lawmaker seeks to establish guardrails, ‘some accountability’ around artificial intelligence
The proposed bill would also prohibit law enforcement from using AI to generate police reports or teachers from using software to create lesson plans.
New Jersey governor signs bill criminalizing deepfakes
Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jerseyans deserve stronger safeguards against rapidly evolving threats in the virtual realm.
AI-backed stop sign cameras help slow down drivers
States and localities are experimenting with the technology to catch scofflaws, but are still verifying suspected violations using human officers.
Georgia House passes bill to criminalize using AI-generated political ads intended to deceive
A bill aimed at reducing misleading AI-generated political ads passed the state House with a bipartisan 152-12 vote Thursday.
