Better Government Tech Is Possible
Now with that With interest in artificial intelligence exploding, Congress is turning its attention to ensuring those who work in government learn more about the technology. US Senators Gary Peters (D-Michigan) and Mike Braun (R-Indiana) are calling for universal leadership training in AI with the Law on the training of AI managerswhich is Forwarding to the entire Senate for examination. The bill directs the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government’s human resources department, to train federal leadership on the fundamentals and risks of AI. However, it is not yet mandatory to teach how AI can be used to improve the way government works.
The AI Management Training Act is an important step in the right direction, but it must go beyond the obligation to provide basic AI training. It should require the OPM to teach public servants how to use AI technologies to improve public service by making government services more accessible, providing ongoing access to city services, helping analyze data to meet needs of citizens, and new opportunities for public participation create democratic decision-making.
Cities already are, for example experiment using AI-based image generation for participatory urban planning, while in San Francisco PAIGE AI chatbot helps entrepreneurs answer their questions about selling to the city. Helsinki, Finland uses one AI-supported decision-making tool to analyze data and make city policy recommendations. Executives are not fair in Dubai Learn AI in general but learning how to use ChatGPT in particular. Legislation should also mandate that the OPM not only teaches what AI is, but also how to do it use it should serve the citizens.
In line with practice in any other country, legislation should make this training mandatory free. This is already the case in the military. On the civilian side, however, the OPM is required to charge a fee for its training programs. For example, a course titled “Enabling 21st-Century Leaders” costs $2,200 per person. Even when individuals seek reimbursement from their organization, all too often programs do not have budgets for upskilling.
If we want public officials to understand AI, we can’t charge them for it. There is no need for this either. Building on one program Founded in New Jersey, six states are now working on a project called ” InnovateUS to develop free live learning and self-directed learning in digital, data and innovation skills. Since all content is openly licensed and designed specifically for public officials, it can be easily shared between states and also with the federal government.
The law should also require that training be easy to find. Even if Congress mandates the training, it will be difficult for public professionals to find without the physical infrastructure to ensure officials can track and trace their knowledge of technology and data. In Germany it is the federal government Digital Academy offers a single website for digital upskilling to ensure broad participation. In contrast, in the United States, each federal agency has its own (and sometimes more than one) website where employees can search for training opportunities, and the OPM does not advertise its training across the federal government. While the Department of Defense has started construction USALearning.gov In order for all employees to eventually have access to the same content, this project must be accelerated.
