The prospect of AI making lives easier for those who use government services is clear as day, with hundreds of examples around the country.  

As Commissioner of New Jersey’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development (NJDOL) for the past eight years, I was fortunate to have a boss and co-workers who were eager to pressure test the impact that AI could have on those we serve. 

Working with the InnovateUS team, NJDOL was the first state department in New Jersey to train all of our employees in the responsible use of AI.  That strong foundation led to the successful launch of AI tools to improve language access through enhanced translations across multiple benefit programs, the proposal of successful career pathways for New Jersey workers at mycareer.nj.gov, and the reduction of unemployment appeals backlogs by researching and drafting decisions for our examiners.

During the COVID-19 unemployment crisis, thousands of passionate, well-intentioned state employees across the country were blamed for outdated eligibility systems and application processes

My passion for reducing unnecessary workload for state employees was born out of the COVID-19 unemployment crisis, when thousands of passionate, well-intentioned state employees across the country were blamed for delays and confusion caused by outdated eligibility systems and application processes. 

I spent much of the rest of my time as Commissioner trying to reduce or streamline our own bureaucracy, not just for our customers but also for our staff, who suffered under a self-imposed administrative burden. 

When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was passed in June 2025, I felt an instant connection to, and anxiety for, my state human services colleagues around the country. It was clear that the new work requirements for SNAP and Medicaid, among many other provisions, had to be implemented within 12 months, putting states in a deeply challenging situation.

The pressure on human services leaders and their staff across the country will be coming from both the bottom up and the top down.  This dichotomic squeeze will start as eligible SNAP and Medicaid recipients are likely to be surprised and confused about the new requirements and how to meet them. 

Then, Governors, Legislators, and members of Congress will try to place the blame for their constituents’ problems on hard-working bureaucrats rather than on the policy choices made by elected leaders who lack the understanding or patience for the intricacies of implementation.

Many states are, understandably, looking to AI to help. The potential for AI to drive efficiencies and do more with less is hard to ignore.

And yet, so are the questions: How do we implement responsibly? How will we overcome institutional hurdles to technological progress (e.g., procurement)? What governance issues need to be addressed? Who can I learn from?

InnovateUS, in partnership with Center for Civic Futures, is launching a six-session series entitled AI and Human Services: Innovating to Serve People Better

To support human services leaders navigating the promise and the risks of AI in public systems, InnovateUS, in partnership with Center for Civic Futures, is launching a six session series entitled AI and Human Services: Innovating to Serve People Better that will explore how public agencies can use AI to strengthen benefits delivery, case management, and service design while centering fairness and public accountability.

We know government leaders like yourself are too busy to be talked at, so, as with all InnovateUS series, these will be conversations with experienced leaders looking not just to share best practices, but also to learn from you.  

The challenges we face in human services at the intersection of complex policy, constrained resources, and real human need can only be overcome when we are working together across state and partisan lines.

Rather than treating AI as a silver bullet, the series emphasizes human-centered design, risk management, and meaningful engagement with communities and frontline staff.

From shaping eligibility determinations to improving client communication to personalizing services, we will explore together how agencies can responsibly integrate AI. Rather than treating AI as a silver bullet, the series emphasizes human-centered design, risk management, and meaningful engagement with communities and frontline staff.

Never has the mission of reducing administrative burden been so important or had as much public attention as it will over the next few years.  Every time I read a projection of how much money state programs will lose, or how many beneficiaries will be kicked out of programs, I see it as a challenge to do whatever I can to ensure those predictions don’t come true. 

As we work together to implement OBBBA’s provisions, how can AI support processes that reduce administrative burdens on our staff and our beneficiaries? 

Quarterly wage records, work search history, labor market information, and job training programs will all be part of successful cross-agency integrations to make benefit eligibility and waiver processes as frictionless as possible.

While state-level Departments of Labor aren’t named in any of the OBBBA policies, we hold much of the data that will be crucial to any ex parte processes for Medicaid and SNAP work requirements. Quarterly wage records, work search history, labor market information, and job training programs will all be part of successful cross-agency integrations to make benefit eligibility and waiver processes as frictionless as possible.

I hope you’ll join me, the Center for Civic Futures team, and hundreds of your counterparts across the country to collaborate on impactful and replicable solutions.