Blog

Here is something worth sitting with for a moment. Right now, while you are reading this, there is a good chance that someone on your municipal team is using AI to do their job. Not because you told them to. Not because your department has an AI policy. Because they found a tool that saves them an hour of work, and they started using it. This is called Shadow AI, and it is happening in local governments across the country. Employees are turning to ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, an

When you think about the future of cities, what comes to mind? For me, it’s a place where technology and community work hand in hand to make life easier, safer, and more efficient. That’s exactly what smart cities aim to achieve. But how do we get there? What are the key insights that can help local governments and municipal workers like you drive this transformation? Let’s dive into the world of AI for urban growth and explore practical ways to make smart city development a

The Municipal AI Adoption Paradox Municipal AI adoption presents a fascinating contradiction. On one hand, interest has never been higher. A National League of Cities report found that 69% of cities are either exploring or actively testing AI tools. Bloomberg Philanthropies surveys show similar enthusiasm, with virtually every city leader expressing curiosity about what AI could do for their operations. On the other hand, actual implementation remains remarkably low. An ICMA

The Insider Advantage Makes All the Difference with Municipal AI Most AI consultants have never sat through a five-hour planning commission meeting. They've never had to justify every dollar in a departmental budget or explain to an angry resident why their permit is taking three weeks to process. They don't understand that when you say you're short-staffed, you mean you're doing three people's jobs while the hiring freeze continues indefinitely. I understand because I've liv

Here's something that might surprise you. Giving your municipal team access to ChatGPT won't automatically make them more creative or innovative. In fact, without one critical element, that shiny new AI tool might not move the needle at all. Recent research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found something fascinating. When employees were given access to generative AI, only some of them became more creative. The others? No improvement whatsoever, despite having t

You know that sinking feeling when you're staring down a 40-page grant application due tomorrow? Or when the city council wants a comprehensive analysis of last year's service requests by Friday? I've been there. For 15 years, I've lived it as a public servant, starting as summer help and a part-time firefighter straight out of high school and advancing through hard work, ambition and creativity. The day ChatGPT released, I recognized something fundamental was shifting. Not b