Artificial Intelligence

CIO Shawnzia Thomas decodes why "cyber discipline" drives AI, modernization, and trust in Georgia’s 2026 tech agenda, and how cyber resilience is achievable through digital literacy and upskilling.

Stephen Heard, now the county’s permanent CIO, is a veteran technologist whose time with the local government dates to April 2007. Prior to becoming interim CIO, he was chief technology officer for five years.

The state Department of Commerce’s Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy is working with an AI-powered health platform to support faster prescription renewals for state residents with chronic conditions.

Having notched early success in piloting generative AI, leaders at the California Department of Transportation are realizing the need for a comprehensive approach to a massive storehouse of data.

The Springfield Township Board of Trustees has enacted a 180-day moratorium barring data center plans from being approved or even accepted for review. If deemed necessary, the time period could be extended.

IT infrastructure resilience, like modernization and citizen engagement, is an ongoing endeavor for officials in South Dakota, according to state CIO Mark Wixon — and one that intersects much other technology work.

Modernizing education with artificial intelligence is less about buying this or that new tool than about new processes, new applications for data analytics, and reorganizing instructional priorities around new norms.

State Chief Innovation Officer Dave Cole will remain under her administration, Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill said. Outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy, meanwhile, signed a bill affirming the New Jersey Innovation Authority.

Carnegie Mellon University is training a cohort of educators in Beaver County, Pa., with a background in AI who will be able to spur conversations about the technology and what it might look like in individual districts.

As Anthology reorganizes under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, its ERP and SIS systems will move to the SaaS company Ellucian, which will invest more heavily in those areas.

The state Department of Technology is piloting Poppy, a digital assistant available to state employees. It’s powered by ChatGPT and other publicly available generative AI tools.

With AI taking the top spot for 2026 government CIO priorities, what are the next-level questions that leaders must focus on regarding AI projects and trends in the new year?  

Effective this year, Illinois will prohibit community colleges from using AI as the sole source of instruction for a course. It also directed the State Board of Education to develop guidelines for AI in K-12 by July.

Copycat news websites use artificial intelligence to mass-produce content quickly, generating revenue from ads and affiliate links while siphoning pageviews from real reporting.

After transitioning from Fairfield University’s leader of enterprise systems to director of IT strategy and enterprise architecture for the state of Connecticut, Armstrong will return to higher-ed leadership in January.

State governments are expected to deploy AI in 2026 with an increased focus on returns on investment as they face complex policymaking restrictions enacted by a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

To prevent students from relying on artificial intelligence to write and do homework for them, many professors are returning to pre-technology assessments and having students finish essays in class.

State leaders prioritized AI advancement in 2025; CIO Alberto Gonzalez said it will help support being efficient and improved service delivery for residents. Onboarding staff has been greatly quickened.