New York scales up AI tool, training resources to entire state government
New York scales up AI tool, training resources to entire state government
https://statescoop.com/new-york-scales-up-ai-training-state-government/
Publish Date: 2026-04-06 16:44:00
Source Domain: statescoop.com
After a successful pilot program last fall, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the state’s custom artificial intelligence tool and its accompanying training materials will be made available to the state government’s entire workforce of more than 100,000 employees.
The tool, which was tested last fall during a pilot with more than 1,200 participants across eight state agencies, is called AI Pro. Powered by Google Gemini, it was developed by the New York Office of Information Technology Services before Hochul announced the pilot in her 2025 State of the State address. Along with the training, which will be offered to state employees in partnership with InnovateUS, the tool was built to provide state employees with a secure environment to hone their AI skills, learn more about AI and unlock ideas about how the technology could help agencies solve problems facing New York.
“We are putting New York at the forefront of the AI revolution, ensuring that the journey forward is safe and responsible,” Hochul said in a news release. “I’m excited to fulfill our vision of embracing innovation, upskilling our employees and better serving New Yorkers.”
The state claims this expansion makes New York the largest state in the nation to securely provide such an AI tool to an entire state workforce. A two-part training program is designed to teach New York State employees, spread across 50 agencies, about responsible AI use as a public sector employee. Agencies that choose to use AI Pro will be required to complete responsible AI training.
A survey following the pilot’s conclusion revealed that 75% of participants saved time using AI Pro, and users found that using the tool often allowed them to spend more time focusing on more complex and high value tasks. About 90% reported feeling their understanding of AI improved following the pilot program, and 86% of users wanted to continue using AI Pro after the pilot.
Participants of…
