Civic Tech

A systemwide freeze lasted about half a day but, fortunately, first responders had prepped for such emergencies. Firefighters switched to “manual mode,” using different ways to take calls and do dispatch.

The National Association of Counties’ AI Exploratory Committee has released a report for local governments on integrating artificial intelligence. It offers use cases, and examines risks and opportunities.

The drone program would, officials hope, enable law enforcement to respond more rapidly to ongoing crime scenes, and potentially help track suspects. The project has been in talks since June 2023.

Council members in the Washington county voted to adopt what’s known as the Safe Systems Approach, in a move to lower transportation fatalities. Technological aids like cameras and speed governors on official vehicles could follow.

The inaugural yearly report aims to address privacy and lack of transparency concerns. It shows how the Boston Police Department uses technology to prevent crime, including cellphone monitoring and cameras in neighborhoods.

A unanimous vote Tuesday by the Common Council barred new cryptocurrency mining operations from the northern New York city for the next two years. The ban on new enterprises follows resident complaints about an existing facility.

The cities of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse collectively received funding via a “tech hub” competition run by the U.S. Economic Development Administration. They’ll use it to develop an area semiconductor industry.

The application, DROPS, or Direct Resource Outreach and Placement Service, enables city staff to create and track digitized case files. It’s intended to streamline access to resources and avoid disconnections in the process.

The village of Saugerties, New York, may utilize TextMyGov to reach residents who subscribe, about issues including water main breaks, road closures and emergencies. Officials have discussed a $5,000 contract with the company.

The federal oversight agency has launched its first cohort focused on artificial intelligence for its Presidential Innovation Fellows program, aiming to create a talent pipeline for AI in government.

Artificial intelligence isn’t everywhere yet, but several local governments around the country have either discovered how it can further enable modern 311 or are considering how it could.

Results for America has recognized nine municipalities for using data to inform policy and improve government service delivery to residents. To date, 83 cities have received the What Works Cities Certification.

The state, working with Google, has launched a course providing foundational AI skills training to residents. The offering, open to 10,000 people at a time, is designed to create an agile workforce.

Using artificial intelligence from a value-based perspective was a major theme during the 2024 Code for America annual summit. The organization also announced its new AI Studio.

Technology like mobile apps and data visualization dashboards is helping the state serve more of its residents — often without them having to leave their homes.

AskCOS, the city of Colorado Springs’ new artificial intelligence-enabled chatbot, was trained using Colorado city government information alone. The virtual assistant can answer constituent questions in 71 languages.

The Environmental Protection Agency has warned against hackers affiliated with Iran and China who could sabotage drinking and wastewater resources — attacks it said are increasing in severity and frequency.

The technology is intended to do a better job of scrutinizing lines — and to save money. It is believed to be the first such use of the combination in the state of Michigan, the Macomb County Public Works commissioner said.