Now As interest in artificial intelligence explodes, Congress is turning its attention to helping government workers learn more about technology. U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-Michigan) and Mike Brown (R-Ind.) have called for universal leadership training for AI through the AI Leadership Training Act, and have passed it across the Senate. Deliberations are underway. The bill directs the federal government’s human resources department, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to train federal leaders on the fundamentals and risks of AI. However, it is not yet mandated to teach how to use AI to improve how governments work.
The AI leadership training method is an important step in the right direction, but it needs to go beyond basic AI training mandates. OPM will make government services more accessible, provide continuous access to city services, support data analytics to understand citizens’ needs, and create new opportunities for citizens to participate in public services. should oblige public officials to be trained in how to use AI technology to improve public services. democratic decision making.
For example, cities are already experimenting with AI-based image generation for participatory urban planning, and San Francisco’s PAIGE AI chatbot is helping answer business owners’ questions about how to sell to the city. Helsinki, Finland uses AI-powered decision-making tools to analyze data and provide city policy recommendations. In Dubai, leaders are not just learning AI in general, but specifically how to use his ChatGPT. The law should also require OPM to teach not only what AI is, but how to use it. use to serve the nation.
Consistent with practice in all other countries, the law should require that training: free. This is already the case with the military. However, on the private side, OPM must charge for training programs. For example, a course titled “Enabling 21st Century Leaders” costs him $2,200 per person. Even when individuals apply for reimbursement from organizations, programs often do not have a budget for upskilling.
If you want public officials to understand AI, you can’t charge them for it. You don’t need to. Based on a program created in New Jersey, six states are now collaborating with each other on a project called InnovateUS to develop free live and self-paced learning in digital, data and innovation skills. increase. All of our content is openly licensed and designed specifically for civil servants, making it easy to share between states as well as the federal government.
The law should also require training to be easily found. Even if Congress mandates training, it will be difficult for civil servants to find it without a physical infrastructure to ensure they receive and track learning about technology and data. In Germany, the federal government’s Digital Academy offers a single site for digital upskilling and ensures broad participation. By contrast, in the United States, every federal agency has its own (and sometimes multiple) websites where employees can look for training opportunities. Also, OPM does not advertise training across the federal government. The Department of Defense has finally started building her USALearning.gov so all personnel have access to the same content, but the project needs to accelerate.
