ALBANY, NY (WRGB) — Governor Kathy Hochul announced Thursday an artificial intelligence (AI) training pilot program specifically designed for the New York State workforce, the first step toward fulfilling a bold and forward-looking 2025 State of the State pledge to equip tens of thousands of hardworking state employees with the knowledge and training to use AI responsibly.
“From the moment we first announced Empire AI, I vowed to put New York State at the forefront of the AI revolution and to ensure that our journey forward was safe, responsible and thoughtful,” Governor Hochul said. “I appreciate ITS leadership for their work and look forward to reviewing the results and hearing ideas from our talented workforce about how we can innovate to better serve New Yorkers.”
The AI training is provided in partnership with InnovateUS, an online platform governed by a coalition of public sector learning and innovation leaders that provides training for more than 150 government agencies across the United States. The two-part training is specifically designed to teach NYS employees about responsible AI use as a public sector employee.
Accompanying the training is the ITS AI Pro generative AI tool, developed by the New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) and powered by Google Gemini, which will provide State employees with a secure environment to hone their AI skills, and unlock ideas about AI could help agencies problem-solve.
New York State Chief Information Officer and Director of ITS Dru Rai said, “Governor Hochul is providing the leadership and the vision to make New York State a national leader in leveraging this powerful and ever-changing technology, allowing us to create efficiencies that help agencies better serve the public. This is an exciting moment on this journey — responsible AI will bring us limitless possibilities to enact positive change to the way our government operates and serves New Yorkers, all while giving our hardworking employees an opportunity to build and grow their own skills for the future.”
The pilot program is guided by ITS and comprised of a diverse group of volunteer users from State agencies with missions that span health, human services, public safety, state operations and infrastructure. The results of the pilot will provide insights and experiential learnings to guide and inform the next phase of AI adoption within New York State government. The AI training pilot program is scheduled to conclude at the end of the year.
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Google New York Public Affairs Manager MJ Henshaw said, “Equipping New York State employees with both the skills and tools to use AI responsibly is critical to unlocking the potential of this technology to drive efficiency, enabling public servants to better serve their constituents. ITS AI Pro, powered by Gemini, underscores Google’s commitment to supporting New York State’s digital transformation, and we applaud Governor Hochul’s focus on setting an example for the ways that government can embrace technology to build a better future.”