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Module 1 For Government beginner 20 min

Reframing AI for Government

The Five Rules of Government AI

What you'll be able to do

  • Reframe AI as leverage for resource-constrained public servants, not a replacement
  • Learn the Five Rules of Government AI as the track's governing frame
  • Understand the Human-in-the-Loop mandate that anchors every exercise
AI recommends. Humans decide.

Government is resource-constrained. Staff are stretched, budgets are tight, and the work keeps coming. AI does not eliminate those pressures, but it gives staff leverage they have never had before. The goal is not automation. It is amplification: helping each public servant do more of what only humans can do.

This track is governed by one mandate. A qualified public employee reviews and validates every AI-generated output before it informs any official action. AI recommends; humans decide. The smart place to start is the sweet spot: projects that are low risk with at least moderate benefit.

The Five Rules of Government AI

  1. Inventory Before You Innovate. Before adopting any new AI tool, the entity must catalog what AI systems are already in use, including third-party vendor tools embedded in existing software. Many governments discover they are already running 10 to 20 AI-enabled tools without realizing it. You cannot govern what you cannot see.
  2. Train the Frontline, Not Just IT. AI literacy cannot be confined to the IT department. The people who interact with residents (311 operators, building inspectors, police officers, social workers) are the ones who need to understand what AI can and cannot do.
  3. Assess Before You Deploy. Every proposed AI application requires a pre-deployment impact assessment: what data does it use, what decisions does it influence, who is affected, and what happens when it is wrong?
  4. Default to Transparency. Residents have a right to know when AI is being used in decisions that affect them. The entity should publish an AI use registry and provide clear, plain-language explanations of how AI tools work in constituent-facing services.
  5. Keep Humans in the Loop. AI is an augmentation tool, not an autonomous decision-maker. For any consequential decision, public safety, permitting, code enforcement, resource allocation, a human being reviews, validates, and takes responsibility for the outcome.
Responsible AI adoption isn't a brake on innovation. It's what makes innovation sustainable. (Rob Richardson)