Rebooting Democracy in the Age of AI

After training more than 250,000 government workers through InnovateUS, the first Public Sector AI Observatory report, as featured by Fast Company and the Boston Globe, finds that confidence drives adoption. Beth Simone Noveck looks at South Australia, where a teacher-built tool cut writing assessments from 30 minutes to 52 seconds and saved an estimated 22,544 hours statewide. Also this month: Neil Kleiman on why government is falling behind on AI adoption, 2,702 Californians on how AI should be governed, a seven-organization report on bossware in California workplaces, and Anthropic’s disclosure that Georgia voter data was accessed without authorization while staff were using Claude.

What does it take to make AI useful in schools? Four Australian states are experimenting with different approaches, from helping teachers build tools that save time to giving students access to chatbots. Their experience offers lessons for other education systems: support teacher-led innovation and training, preserve flexibility across AI models, measure actual use, and evaluate effects on teaching and learning before expanding. Adapted from my essay in the Süddeutsche Zeitung, this piece explores why providing access to secure AI is not enough.

At InnovateUS, we have trained more than 250,000 public professionals in AI and innovation skills. Our Observatory of Public Sector AI introductory-course surveys reveal uncertainty about AI’s relevance, use, and rules, alongside encouraging gains in reported knowledge and confidence. The next challenge is understanding whether that learning translates into better public services and stronger trust in government.