Artificial intelligence
The opportunity
AI can unlock new levels of government responsiveness and effectiveness.
Imagine benefits applications processed in real-time. Automations that free up caseworkers for relationship-building and complex problem-solving. Instant access to plain language notices in any language. AI doesn’t just speed up old processes—it enables entirely new ways of serving people.
Government agencies are hearing that new technology may be able to help solve real problems they face. But AI technology is evolving rapidly, and it can feel overwhelming to figure out where to start, and which solutions will actually deliver results. Governments across the country are grappling with how to apply new frameworks, capabilities, and models—especially when new developments are happening at lightning speed.
We analyzed how all 50 US states are approaching AI adoption. The findings are striking.
- Most governments are in early or developing stages—building capabilities, establishing governance, and training staff
- A few states have pulled ahead with dedicated offices and sophisticated pilots
- Across the board, agencies understand AI matters, they’re investing heavily, and they’re also under pressure to move fast
Recent research shows that 85% of AI projects fail. The gap between success and failure in government AI isn’t about the technology—it’s about the approach. Code for America has spent more than 15 years helping government build technology that genuinely serves residents. We bring that same approach to AI implementation.
Our approach
Our work is informed by more than 15 years of partnering with government on technology challenges.
Be solution-oriented: Start with problems to solve, not technology
Code for America takes a solution-oriented approach to solving problems. We’re not here to sell you on technology. We’re here to help you solve actual problems facing your agency and the residents you serve. To do this, we identify the problem and find solutions that address that problem. That solution-oriented mindset is at the core of all the work we do. Sometimes AI is the right tool. Sometimes it’s not. Either way, we start by understanding what you’re trying to accomplish and who you’re trying to serve, and then find solutions that will deliver outcomes.
Be evidence-driven: Start small and test relentlessly
We partner with government agencies to design and validate AI solutions that break down barriers and improve outcomes. Our human-centered approach starts with the people who will be most affected by these changes, ensuring that technology serves real needs rather than creating obstacles.
Here’s how we approach partnership:
- We co-create solutions with our government partners, ensuring every feature serves their mission and respects their expertise.
- We move fast when we move together, with partners who understand both the technology’s potential and the stakes of getting it right.
- We start with simple solutions that solve immediate problems, then build toward more ambitious changes as we learn what works.
We’re also clear-eyed about what AI can and can’t do. Policy barriers and systemic issues can’t be fixed by technology alone. But AI can help solve urgent operational challenges when deployed thoughtfully: reducing burden on caseworkers, improving access for residents, and freeing staff to focus on helping people rather than hunting through data.
Our impact
We’re moving fast, and with care, to build a new model for responsible AI adoption in government.
We’re partnering with state and local agencies to identify where AI can reduce burden on caseworkers and improve access for residents in programs like SNAP, Medicaid, and tax credits. Through partnerships with pioneering government agencies, we’re creating AI solutions for benefits delivery that make government more responsive to the people it serves and more supportive of the workers who make it possible.
We know that thoughtful AI implementation can transform public service delivery while maintaining the trust and accountability that government requires. This work leverages extensive experience building tools like GetCalFresh and GetYourRefund, bringing domain expertise that complements technical AI capabilities.
What this looks like in practice
We have experience partnering with government on a variety of AI use cases.
Addressing duplicate records with AI-enabled entity resolution
When a benefits agency needed to clean up duplicate records across databases, we didn’t start by pitching AI models. We started by understanding their workflow: caseworkers manually searching for duplicates, often missing them because of complicated systems and processes, resulting in hours wasted that could go to helping families.
We approached the problem with curiosity and a solution-oriented mindset, and identified an opportunity to test our approach. We implemented a pilot of an AI-enabled entity resolution system that found six times more duplicates than manual review. After validating this solution, we helped with scaling it. In the end, we freed up caseworkers to focus on what humans do best: helping families navigate complex situations.
Addressing compliance challenges with an AI compliance assessment tool
When a colleague showed us her massive spreadsheet for tracking thousands of PDFs to meet ADA compliance deadlines, we saw the pattern: enormous manual effort on work AI could handle, which would free staff for higher-impact priorities. We built the AI Studio Accessibility Project to automate document discovery, classification, and compliance assessment.
Multiple governments around the country have now transformed months of manual cataloging into hours of automated analysis. This open-source tool is available to help governments nationwide meet the April 2026 deadline to ensure seventy million Americans with disabilities can actually access public services. That’s the systems-level impact possible when you start with solving real problems.
Want to leverage AI innovation to solve problems for the people you serve?
We’re actively partnering with governments to design and test AI applications that improve how residents access benefits and services.
If you’re facing pressure to adopt AI and want to do it in a way that genuinely helps rather than just checking a technology box, let’s talk about what partnership could look like.
We’re looking for partners who want to:
- Start with real problems facing your agency and the people you serve
- Pilot AI technologies quickly with focused use cases that let you test, learn, and adjust
- Build with user experience in mind from the beginning
- Share what you learn so other governments can benefit from your experience
Resources
Stories
Want to use AI to help unlock new possibilities?