After 170,000 AI-generated prompts and 90 percent of participants reporting a boost in understanding, New York is scaling an artificial intelligence training pilot launched last fall into a full-blown program for more than 100,000 state employees.
The pilot, managed by the state Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), initially involved 1,200 employees in various roles — including administrative, communications, policy, legal, service delivery, operations and technical functions — across the departments of Labor and Health, the Division of Budget and other agencies.
Participants came in with limited experience: 41 percent had never used generative AI (GenAI) before, and 87 percent had no prior training. But by the end of the pilot, overall confidence in using AI had increased by 36 percent, according to a recent ITS announcement.
Pilot results showed that 75 percent of participants reported saving time using AI Pro; 90 percent said their understanding of AI improved; and 86 percent expressed a desire to continue using the tool, according to ITS officials.
Employees who participated in the pilot found AI Pro simplified tasks that had previously taken hours — such as drafting executive summaries, translating topics into accessible language and creating data dashboards, per the announcement.
Across the country, InnovateUS has quickly become a go‑to resource for governments looking to scale AI literacy and practical skills for public workers.
Alongside New York, other jurisdictions have tapped the same curriculum. San Francisco has made the content available to thousands of city workers, New Jersey has expanded statewide training with InnovateUS courses, and Indianapolis is using the platform to teach ethical AI use to government staff. Georgia also launched its own statewide AI literacy initiative with InnovateUS, aiming to give public employees the foundational knowledge to apply AI in their day‑to‑day work responsibly.
