Artificial intelligence continued to dominate headlines, and in January, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced an extensive digital strategy that included one of the most large-scale, AI-focused strategic overhauls this year, creating policies surrounding the new tech, including accessibility plans and expanded protections for the state’s digital infrastructure. The four-pronged strategy included creating a new AI subcabinet to build a framework for responsibly implementing AI.
Researchers at the University at Albany and University College London dug deep into how governments use AI chatbots. The study found that while governments rushed to adopt AI to keep up with growing trends, many were still grappling with the basics of chatbot deployment, primarily focusing on information delivery over full-service applications. Their findings highlighted a world of possibilities — and a laundry list of challenges, from sourcing data to dealing with the financial and human resource hurdles of implementing new tech.
In April, Delaware CIO Greg Lane’s office worked to redefine government and citizen interactions, rolling out a single sign-on portal that included an Amazon-like payment component for users making payments to the state Department of Agriculture’s Pesticide Management agency. That was a test run, with the long-term goal of turning what could be seen as interdepartment, bureaucratic red tape into a streamlined digital experience for customers across state systems.
This type of citizen-centric approach was evident nationwide this year. Oregon’s Division of Driver and Motor Vehicle Services (DMV), for example, flipped the script on the dreaded wait-in-line experience by launching a system called Next in Line in June. The scheduling system is the equivalent of having a personal assistant for customers’ DMV needs, complete with text or email updates about services.
The 8th annual Government Experience awards from the Center for Digital Government* also chronicles government’s continuing evolution toward customer-centric operations. ”We’ve seen that around 90 percent of people, their first interaction with Massachusetts state services happens digitally,” CIO Jason Snyder said, pointing to the state’s digital road map as the document guiding their efforts. Their single sign-on platform for constituent services boasts more than 500,000 active users each month. Fellow honoree Arlington County, Va., CIO Norron Lee notes that being customer-centric requires agility and a commitment to continuous improvement as needs change and capabilities grow. “It’s all about creating persistent feedback loops with customers, helping us get to market faster with digital services that truly satisfy demand,” he said.
This story originally appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Government Technology magazine. Click here to view the full digital edition online.
