On Friday, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey made a groundbreaking announcement: all 40,000 executive-branch employees will soon have access to a ChatGPT-powered artificial intelligence assistant. This initiative marks a significant first for state government operations.
After a competitive bidding process, Massachusetts, in collaboration with OpenAI—developer of ChatGPT—will roll out this generative AI tool across the executive branch. According to a news release, the implementation will occur in phases, beginning with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security and extending to other agencies thereafter.
Governor Healey emphasized the purpose of this technological advancement is to enhance governmental efficiency and service delivery. She stated, “AI has the potential to transform how government works, which is why we’re excited to partner with OpenAI on this AI Assistant. This initiative will create a safe and secure environment for employees and enable them to provide better service to the residents of Massachusetts.”
To ensure data security, the AI tool will be maintained within a secure, isolated environment. This measure is designed to protect state data and prevent prompts from inadvertently training public AI models. The use of this technology will adhere to regulations established by the technology office’s privacy division, alongside regularly updated state policies concerning AI.
Jason Snyder, the state’s Chief Information Officer, highlighted that this “secure, governed tool” will empower employees, enhancing service delivery while upholding stringent standards for data privacy and security. He added, “Our focus is not just on adopting AI, but on doing so in a manner that reflects our values and builds trust with the communities we serve.”
Alongside the rollout, Massachusetts will provide a series of optional training programs aimed at equipping employees with a foundational understanding of best practices and effective strategies for using the tool.
While other states, such as Pennsylvania, have introduced limited pilot programs that utilize an enterprise version of ChatGPT, Massachusetts stands out as the first to implement this technology across an entire branch of state government.
