In Pennsylvania, when Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration set out to train 175 state employees on how to use ChatGPT responsibly, the state reported saving an average of 95 minutes when they utilized it for drafting and summarizing lengthy documents. As other states look to investigate how AI use can streamline its processes within the government, the organization InnovateUS has trained more than 250,000 public professionals through courses and workshops in “AI, human-centered design, and data analysis.” Drawing on findings from these training sessions, researchers including Gregory Porumbescu, Director of the Public Interest and Technology Management Lab within the New Jersey State Policy Lab, have published a new report, From Curiosity to Capability: What We Learned from Training 250,000 Public Servants on AI.
After holding trainings across the nation, the research team discovered that nearly two-thirds of the participants indicated they had no workplace experience with generative AI. Professionals who were less familiar with AI were not aware of its capabilities beyond using the tools to write reports and summarize files when there are other potential opportunities available to benefit their constituents.
Within the NJSPL, the Public Interest and Technology Management Lab works with government agencies to innovate and operate digital services for users. The team can provide government technology assessments, program and policy evaluations, and data infrastructure analysis, so that every public dollar delivers greater public value.
Our team is always happy to hear from government partners, funders, and fellow researchers. For those interested in learning more or working with the team, visit the Public Interest and Technology Management Lab here.