Voices

By modernizing its 911 system and embracing automation, El Paso is delivering faster, more efficient emergency services with tools like a bot to take non-emergency calls and real-time language translation.

A growing wave of “ghost students” — fake identities powered by AI and stolen personal data — is siphoning millions from community college financial aid systems. Weak identity verification processes have opened the door to large-scale fraud, underscoring the urgent need for modern, low-friction identity tools that protect funding and ensure aid reaches real students.

With ChatGPT now allowing for payments within its interface, the potential for governments is huge. But the possibility comes with major questions around trust, data governance and system architecture.

Transform fragmented data into integrated intelligence that connects asset performance, predictive maintenance and strategic capital planning to drive proactive, data-driven decision-making.

The Department of Defense’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is likely a harbinger of things to come for state and local governments, and an example of effective cybersecurity strategies they are well-served to apply today.

The whole-of-state model isn’t theory. It’s measurable cybersecurity defense and a cyber workforce that scales.

The Department of Justice’s new ADA rule is forcing agencies to rethink decades of public documents — and use technology to quickly modernize compliance and public access.

Even as it fundamentally changes government service delivery, the technology’s speed and scale can increase risk. Considering these five questions can help lead to clarity on developments and implementations.

Governments can and should use AI to reduce burdens. But they must also preserve the ability to override AI and the moral flexibility that allows a public servant to say, “The data says no, but the right answer is yes.”

To strengthen emergency preparedness, public agencies are modernizing procurement with flexible supply strategies, digital marketplaces and data-driven insights that ensure critical resources reach communities when they’re needed most.

State and local governments are learning to do more with less by treating resource allocation as a strategic tool for sustainability. By investing in resilient infrastructure, data-driven planning and cross-sector collaboration, leaders can stretch limited budgets while building more efficient, equitable and resilient communities.

Modernizing benefits delivery is no longer a question of “if,” it’s a question of “how well.” Making benefits more easily accessible improves staff workload, increases user satisfaction and improves outcomes.