AI for Governance
ICE Is Paying Palantir $30 Million to Build ‘ImmigrationOS’ Surveillance Platform
“Immigration and Customs Enforcement is paying software company Palantir $30 million to provide the agency with ‘near real-time visibility’ on people self-deporting from the United States, according to a contract justification published in a federal register on Thursday. The tool would also help ICE choose who to deport, giving special priority to ‘visa overstays,’ the document shows…The agency says in the document that these new capabilities will be under a wholly new platform called the Immigration Lifecycle Operating System, or ImmigrationOS. Palantir is expected to provide a prototype of ImmigrationOS by September 25, 2025, and the contract is scheduled to last at least through September 2027. ICE’s update to the contract comes as the Trump administration is demanding that thousands of immigrants ‘self-deport,’ or leave the US voluntarily.”
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The InnovateUS Podcast
On this show, InnovateUS Program Coordinator Jessica Silverman will be interviewing experts and public sector innovators on how we can drive meaningful change in government to provide more equitable and effective public services. In the first episode, Anita McGahan talked about how government organizations can effectively partner with the private sector to drive mission-aligned outcomes. Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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Newsom announces AI-driven efforts to help state reduce traffic jams, improve road safety
California Governor Newsom announced the state’s plans to use GenAI to analyze traffic data with the goal of reducing highway congestion and improving road safety, and deploy an AI assistant to help staff craft responses to tax inquiries in a state call center in partnership with major tech firms. The initiative follows the Governor’s 2023 executive order which directed agencies to explore the implementation of Generative AI to improve state operations. Read the state’s press release about its new AI programs here.
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Introducing StaffLink: An AI Assistant for Junior Congressional Staff
“StaffLink, a new, AI-powered chatbot designed especially for junior Congressional staffers, is an open-source project created by the nonpartisan nonprofit POPVOX Foundation in partnership with POPVOX, a nonpartisan civic tech platform. StaffLink helps staffers navigate the daily challenges of Capitol Hill. This user-friendly chatbot provides immediate guidance on Congressional operations, drawing on publicly available information about Congressional operations from the Modernization Staff Association (MSA), the Committee on House Administration, and the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer.” The StaffLink beta test is currently live at stafflink.popvox.com. Once approved by the House, it will also be available at stafflinkbot.org.
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Trump Pushes Out AI Experts Hired By Biden
“Donald Trump wants the U.S. to be a leader in artificial intelligence. In January, he signed an executive order intended to enhance America’s ‘dominance’ in AI. In early April, his Administration directed every federal agency to find and hire more people with experience designing and deploying artificial intelligence. On Wednesday, he signed yet another executive order on AI, this one about integrating it into the nation's schools. ‘AI is where it seems to be at,’ Trump said. But Trump’s erratic purge of the federal workforce has undermined those very efforts. The Biden Administration moved aggressively in its final 18 months to convince more than 200 AI technology experts to forgo the private sector for the federal workforce, through what was called the ‘National AI Talent Surge.’ The new hires were deployed throughout the government and used AI to find ways to reduce Social Security wait times, simplify tax filings, and help veterans track their medical care. Most of them were quickly pushed out by the new administration, multiple former federal officials tell TIME. The shift, say the former officials, represents an enormous waste of federal resources, as agencies across the Trump Administration are looking to draw workers with the very experience they just let go. It also means agencies may have to increasingly rely on costlier outside companies for that expertise. The White House and the Office of Management and Budget did not respond to requests for comment.”
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Brazil’s AI-powered social security app is wrongly rejecting claims
“When Josélia de Brito, a former sugarcane worker from a remote town in northeast Brazil, filed for her retirement benefits through the mandated government app, she expected her claim would be processed quickly. Instead, her request was instantly turned down because the system identified her as a man. It was especially frustrating for de Brito, who had been requesting sick pay for years via the National Social Security Institute’s artificial intelligence-powered app, Meu INSS. De Brito had worked in the fields since she was a teenager, and suffered from a herniated disc, scoliosis, and fibromyalgia — chronic illnesses that made her eligible for social benefits. But even minor errors in her claims filed through the app had led to numerous rejections, with few options for recourse ... Brazil's social security institute, known as INSS, added AI to its app in 2018 in an effort to cut red tape and speed up claims. The office, known for its long lines and wait times, had around 2 million pending requests for everything from doctor’s appointments to sick pay to pensions to retirement benefits at the time. While the AI-powered tool has since helped process thousands of basic claims, it has also rejected requests from hundreds of people like de Brito — who live in remote areas and have little digital literacy — for minor errors.”
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Global AI and Democracy Watch: UAE's AI-Powered Legislative Office: An Experiment Worth Watching
“The UAE has announced its ‘Legislative Intelligence Office,’ promising to transform lawmaking through AI by integrating legislation, judicial rulings, and public services. While the system could potentially identify contradictions in laws and model policy impacts, serious questions remain about governance transparency, data quality, and accountability. This experiment deserves attention as legislatures worldwide struggle with information overload, but we must ask whether efficiency will come at the cost of deliberation and public participation.”
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Research Radar: Using Machine Learning to Map State Capacity
“A new AI-enabled research project designed to help measure state ability to exercise authority was highlighted. This experiment with designing ways to model state power could transform how we understand and strengthen democracies. Norwegian researchers have created detailed maps of state capacity at the local level using machine learning to combine citizen surveys with geographic data across Africa. Their approach predicts government effectiveness in areas without direct measurements, offering new ways to target democracy interventions where they're most needed. This method could help identify representation gaps in communities, though challenges with data limitations and potential misuse remain.”
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