8 Features of the Best Audit Management Software for Public Sector The shift to electronic working papers in the audit community fosters collaboration but inadvertently generates dark data. Audit management software offers solutions to access, analyze and maximize audit data's value. READ MORE
AI-Powered Robotic Glove Could Help Recovering Stroke Victims Using the complex task of playing the piano, a high-tech glove gives feedback to the wearer in real time as they work to re-establish mobility after experiencing a stroke. READ MORE
An Arizona City Is Folding New Tech into Its Recycling Program An innovative solution is being piloted in Surprise, Ariz., leveraging 3D-printing technology to reduce and reuse plastic waste. The ultimate goal is to help enable a circular economy in the region. READ MORE
Are Public Universities Spending Too Much Outside the Classroom? Critics argue that schools are spending too much on administrative costs at the expense of instruction. One group found that administrative spending increased 6.3 percent from 2016 to 2021. READ MORE
As AI Transforms Work, Will Pennsylvanians Adapt? Pennsylvania is the first state to formalize a partnership with OpenAI, and Gov. Josh Shapiro says the state will explore how AI can streamline government without eliminating workers. READ MORE
Benton County, Wash., Sheriff May Use AI Photo Searches A new software service could save Benton County investigators hundreds of hours searching for potential suspects, but opponents say the tool could be used to intimidate and violate civil liberties. READ MORE
California AG Calls on Feds to Help Crack Down on Robocalls, AI California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined 25 other top state attorneys to ask the federal government for an inquiry into how AI technology could make it more difficult to protect consumers from illegal scam calls and texts. READ MORE
California Wants to Improve State Call Centers With AI The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration is looking for a solution capable of using generative AI to generate potential responses to taxpayers via telephone and live chat. READ MORE
Can AI-Powered Virtual Assistants Crack the Language Barrier? Minnesota leveraged Google AI to create a multilingual virtual assistant. Data from a records request reveals how it’s really being used by a diverse population and potential limitations with the technology. READ MORE
Can AI-Powered Virtual Assistants Crack the Language Barrier? Minnesota leveraged Google AI to create a multilingual virtual assistant. Data from a records request reveals how it’s really being used by a diverse population and potential limitations with the technology. READ MORE
CIOs
Sound Off: What Makes a Vendor a Good Partner? The relationship between
government agencies and the companies they work with is key to successful
outcomes for IT projects, so we asked state and local CIOs what they look for
in a partner. READ
MORE
Comprehensive Guide for Communicating During a Disaster Share this safety education information with your community throughout the year to keep disaster awareness top-of-mind Read the eBook
CoSN Report: States Prioritizing K-12 Data Protection A new report by the Consortium for School Networking on recent legislation passed by states indicates a 250 percent increase in the number of cybersecurity bills affecting education since 2020. READ MORE
Could Bay Area Ferries Be Entering Their Golden Age? The Water Emergency Transportation Authority wants to change the San Francisco Bay Ferry’s reputation from luxury transit to go-to commuter service by lowering fares, providing more direct routes and adopting off-peak travel schedules. READ MORE
Cybersecurity Challenges at the World Economic Forum The 54th Annual Meeting of The World Economic Forum took place in Davos, Switzerland, this past week, and cybersecurity and AI were again top topics. Here are some highlights. READ MORE
Delaware
CIO Talks Recruiting, Single Sign-On and Generative AI As Delaware
confronts some of the perennial — and growing — problems that face state
government, it’s turning to cloud transitions and identity management while
developing new guidance. READ
MORE
Electric Car-Share Operation Expands in California Míocar, a nonprofit car-sharing platform, is expanding its reach across the rural California Central Valley, bringing electric vehicles and expanded transportation options to low-income communities. READ MORE
Federal Agencies Team Up to Tackle AI Democratization The U.S. National Science Foundation and other collaborating federal agencies are launching a national pilot to research, and ultimately bolster investment in, the area of artificial intelligence. READ MORE
GSA Partners With Local, State Agencies on Notification Platform The U.S. General Services Administration has chosen to collaborate with four states to pilot a text notification platform geared toward enhancing internal and external communication surrounding federal benefits services. READ MORE
Hawaii Seeks $60M to Upgrade Finance System After Botched Job The Department of Accounting and General Services wants to spend the funds to essentially restart an attempt to modernize its antiquated accounting and management system, after a failed $8 million effort. READ MORE
Hydrogen Is Still a Heavy Lift for Clean Transportation A new report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation found that the economies of producing green hydrogen at scale will be difficult to overcome as the governments and the private sector search for non-fossil fuel energy sources. READ MORE
Is Combining 27 Transit Agencies into One a Good Idea? California state Sen. Aisha Wahab has proposed legislation that would combine all of the transit agencies that oversee public transit in the nine-county Bay Area into one in hopes of more seamless service. Would it work? READ MORE
Keeping Deepfakes Out of Court May Take Shared Effort Court officials anticipate having messy debates over whether evidence is authentic or fabricated, with deepfakes skewing jurors’ decisions and digital forensics analysts helping to find the truth. READ MORE
Los Angeles D.A. to Settle Failed Election Conspiracy Prosecution The county district attorney’s office will pay $5 million to Konnech, a tiny Michigan software company that sued District Attorney George Gascón last September for civil rights violations and negligence. READ MORE
Maine Homeless Shelters Could See Funding Quintuple There are 42 homeless shelters in Maine with a total of about 1,170 beds run by various nonprofits throughout the state. READ MORE
Nonprofit Aims to Help Govt Consider Risks of Generative AI CivAI is creating a toolkit that will help state and local government leaders address the risks as they start using the rapidly evolving technology for more use cases. READ MORE
North Carolina Is Spending Millions on a Flood Blueprint The state’s Flood Resiliency Blueprint will be an online tool that compiles research and data about flooding in North Carolina in one place. This can be used to inform future plans. READ MORE
Public Sector Tech Trends: A Modernization Guidebook Learn how to build a more resilient, data-driven organization so you can meet demands like remote work, digital services, and risk management. GET THE GUIDE
Recycled Roadways That Charge EVs Are Closer Than You Think Technology and policy leaders discussed the highway infrastructure of the future at the recent Transportation Research Board annual meeting, offering up the benefits of using recycled materials and sending electricity through the pavement. READ MORE
Showcasing the Startups at State of GovTech — ICYMI Leaders from Orijin, Medex Forensics, Societal and Terra.do — gov tech startups singled out by judges at the State of GovTech event — discuss their innovative solutions and their companies’ visions. READ MORE
Special: Securing America's Digital Infrastructure A round up industry best practices on topics such as security, threats, and privacy. See how companies are helping state and local agencies tackle and prepare for all things cybersecurity. NEWS, CONVERSATIONS AND RESOURCES
The 12 Cities Being Recognized for Strong Data Work Results for America has awarded a dozen new cities for the quality of work with data to inform policy, engage residents, allocate funding and improve municipal services. READ MORE
The Perils of Broadcasting Law Enforcement Frequencies There’s a big audience for it. But people listening to police radio creates serious privacy challenges. They can also hamper law enforcement. READ MORE
Transforming Community Infrastructure for Water Conservation Local governments can drastically improve water conservation with a comprehensive approach to water management. READ MORE
Universal Basic Income Is Not a Solution for What Ails Society Providing guaranteed cash with no spending restrictions is massively expensive, and the public doesn’t support the idea. Policymakers should focus on reforms that maximize labor-force participation and make work more worthwhile. READ MORE
Virginia Governor Signs Another Executive Order on AI Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s latest executive order on artificial intelligence targets the use of the technology in the classroom and offers standards to safeguard state databases and individual data. READ MORE
What Are the Biggest Issues Facing States and Localities This Year? From artificial intelligence to international affairs, state and local leaders will have to make decisions on a variety of policy issues this year. READ MORE
Why did this company AI chatbot start swearing and criticizing the company? READ MORE