New York expands AI tool to entire state workforce
New York will make an artificial intelligence tool available to more than 100,000 state employees across 50 agencies, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday. The expansion follows a successful pilot program that ran last fall with 1,200 participants from eight agencies.
The tool, called AI Pro and powered by Google Gemini, was built by the New York Office of Information Technology Services. It gives state workers a secure environment to develop AI skills and identify ways the technology could solve problems within their agencies.
New York claims this makes it the largest state to securely provide such a tool to an entire workforce.
What the pilot showed
During the pilot, 75% of users said they saved time with AI Pro. Workers reported spending more time on complex, high-value tasks after using the tool.
About 90% of pilot participants said their understanding of AI improved, and 86% wanted to continue using it. Confidence using generative AI rose by 36% among participants.
Forty-one percent of pilot users had no prior experience with generative AI. Eighty-seven percent had received no previous training before the program.
How state employees used it
Participants used AI Pro for specific work tasks:
- Writing executive summaries and policy briefs
- Translating complex topics into clear language
- Summarizing lengthy reports
- Consolidating duplicate documents
- Creating data dashboards
Training requirements
State agencies that adopt AI Pro must complete a two-part training program on responsible AI use in the public sector. The training is being developed in partnership with InnovateUS.
Dru Rai, New York's chief information officer, said the expansion gives employees "an opportunity to grow their own skills for the future" while allowing agencies to improve service delivery.
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