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How can Government Lead in the Age of AI?

This episode of GovTech Viewpoints features Dan Gohl, HP’s Chief Technology and Strategy Officer for US SLED. Dan join’s the Center for Digital Government’s Teri Takai to discuss how state and local governments can lead in the age of AI. The conversation explores AI’s potential to drive economic growth, the importance of building strong digital infrastructure, and the need for workforce upskilling and AI literacy. Listeners will gain insights on balancing innovation with ethics and privacy while empowering communities to confidently embrace emerging technologies.

GovTech Viewpoints
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Teri Takai, chief programs officer for the Center for Digital Government, and Dan Gohl, HP’s chief technology and strategy officer for U.S. state and local government and education, explore how states and localities can lead in the age of AI, not just by adopting new technology but by shaping the economic and cultural environment around it. Gohl shares insights on building digital infrastructure, attracting AI-driven investment, and ensuring workforce readiness through education and upskilling. The discussion emphasizes the importance of balancing innovation with privacy and ethics, giving citizens confidence in government’s use of AI.

SHOW NOTES


Here are the top-five takeaways from this episode:
  1. The AI Economy and Government Leadership
    AI isn’t just transforming tech companies — it’s rewriting the rules of local economies. The conversation breaks down how government leaders can seize the moment and turn AI’s rapid rise into real opportunities for their communities.
  2. Building the Digital Infrastructure for the Future
    Future-ready government starts with a strong foundation. Takai and Gohl dig into what it takes—from secure networks to smart policies—to make sure cities and states can harness AI’s power.
  3. Workforce Readiness and AI Literacy
    AI won’t succeed if people don’t know how to use it. The conversation dives into why education and upskilling are the keys to using AI for everyday problem-solving.
  4. Privacy, Ethics, and Public Trust in AI
    More data, more decisions and more public questions. Takai and Gohl explore how to walk the line between AI innovation and protecting privacy rights.
  5. Empowering Individuals to Engage with AI
    AI doesn’t just happen to us; we get to shape it. The episode closes with a challenge to leaders and residents: lean in, learn and help guide how AI transforms government and community life.

Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to
help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.
*Governing and Government Technology are divisions of e.Republic LLC.
Teri Takai is the Senior Vice President of the Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government.