The initiative is free to workers and grounded in a simple premise — public servants can only use emerging technology effectively when they understand its limits and its risks.
Georgia’s push stems less from chasing new tools and more from seeing that employees needed direction in how to use them responsibly. Workers across the state were already experimenting with AI, often without shared guardrails or a common understanding of when and how the technology should be used. Now, state leaders are moving to close that gap.
To do so, Georgia state CIO Shawnzia Thomas is focused on guided, responsible adoption of AI.
“True digital transformation happens when people feel empowered,” she said. “We’re not just teaching AI, we’re teaching confidence, curiosity, and responsible innovation.”
As agencies began experimenting with AI tools, Thomas said, GTA’s Office of Artificial Intelligence began to see a clear pattern. Interest surged during the state’s early pilots, and as teams tested new capabilities, employees repeatedly asked for direction on how to use the technology safely and appropriately. That growing need for structure — to build a workforce that understood both the possibilities and the limits of AI — ultimately set the partnership with InnovateUS in motion.
According to the state, most employees will be able to begin training within weeks. The curriculum starts with foundational lessons — including AI literacy, awareness of risks, privacy protections, and the basics of prompting — while also emphasizing the important skill of knowing when not to use AI. Because the training is aligned with the state’s AI Pilot License framework, employees can engage with the material almost immediately, providing a clear path from foundational concepts to practical, real-world applications.
GTA Chief Digital and AI Officer Nikhil Deshpande described the reasoning behind this phased approach: “This training will give state employees the foundation to use AI confidently, safely and effectively in their daily work,” he said in a statement.
It essentially covers the basics of what AI can do, how to use it, and how to protect sensitive data and organizational assets while integrating AI into workflows. But the broader goal, he said, is to build the skills, safeguards and confidence to use AI responsibly while unlocking new opportunities and improving the way services are delivered statewide.
After the foundational modules, Georgia will introduce role-specific training for employees in HR, legal and contracting, customer service and other functions where the technology could accelerate daily work. More advanced, hands-on workshops are also in development for workers interested in becoming “AI champions” within their agencies.
Even before the full curriculum launches, early pilots have shown how AI can support routine tasks without displacing the employees who perform them. In several agencies, staff are using AI to summarize long regulatory documents, prepare clearer explanations for residents navigating complex systems, and generate early drafts of safety messages. At scale, GTA officials said, these efficiencies can free employees to focus on higher-impact responsibilities.
As this work gets underway, Georgia is entering an area where other states are also moving quickly. New York, for example, launched a pilot that pairs classroom-style AI instruction with practical exercises in a secure generative AI environment built on Google’s Gemini platform. The program is intended to give employees hands-on experience while the state develops broader AI research and infrastructure initiatives. New York’s approach mirrors Georgia’s in one critical way: both states are treating AI training not as an optional skill but as a foundational part of modern public service.
For Georgia, that alignment with national trends shows the stakes at hand. As Thomas and Deshpande noted, AI is becoming part of the daily workflow for public employees — whether states are ready or not.
