AI Research

For most states, AI adoption is still in early stages, Code for America report shows

Published

2 months ago

July 8, 2025

A report published Tuesday by the civic tech nonprofit Code for America reveals that while many states are interested in using artificial intelligence to improve digital services, most are still in the early stages.

The Government AI Landscape Assessment report found only three states — New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Utah — have made major strides in building their AI capabilities, by hiring tech experts, training workers and upgrading outdated systems.

Of the remaining 47 states, the report determined, most are in the “developing” stage, still experimenting with AI projects, and often running small pilot programs or relying on outside partnerships with universities or technology companies for help.

“Across 50 states, I think people are realizing that AI is something that needs to be considered in service delivery,” Jenn Thom, lead data scientist at Code for America, told StateScoop in an interview. “And while there are some states who have made progress more quickly, I think those states can serve as a model for states who are just dipping their toes in or starting to explore.”

Last year, New Jersey appointed the state’s first chief AI strategist. Utah established the Office of AI Policy, one of the only state agencies in the nation solely dedicated to AI governance. The Utah office also partnered with the Aspen Institute’s Policy Academy on a yearlong report designed to help state governments craft responsible AI policy.

Thom said that in addition to hiring personnel who are focused on AI, these states also have strong data infrastructures and shared IT systems, which also helped to accelerate their AI adoption.

“Pennsylvania has a centralized IT organization, so I think that has really helped them move a little more quickly in adopting some of and adopting and getting some of these AI pieces of infrastructure up and running,” Thom explained. “Utah also has already a really good cloud environment, and so I think that was something that actually helped them be able to adopt AI more quickly at scale as well.”

The report stresses that while AI has the potential to make government work faster and more fairly — for example, by helping people apply for benefits more easily or processing paperwork more efficiently — it also warned that states need strong guardrails to ensure AI tools are used responsibly and don’t harm vulnerable communities.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in January announced a new pilot program in collaboration with OpenAI that will provide licenses for some state employees to begin using the enterprise version of ChatGPT. Employees are using the technology to, among other things, ensure agencies are properly aligning their hiring needs with the state’s job classifications.

“That’s an example of something that allows the people on the ground doing the work to be able to adapt the technology to the problems that they’re encountering every day,” Thom said of the pilot program.

The report recommends that states exploring AI start small, learn from early experiments and focus on using AI in ways that serve people — not just adopting technology for technology’s sake.

“AI as a technology has a lot of potential to transform how services are being delivered within state governments, but it needs to be deployed in a human-centered way,” Thom said.

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Related Topics:Artificial Intelligence (AI)code for america data governance digital services Report state government state it

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Achieving the Next Era of Intelligence

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21 minutes ago

September 10, 2025

Arm

Low Power-High Performance

WHITEPAPERS

AGI: the timeline, breakthroughs needed, why AI models are falling short and a practical path forward.

September 10th, 2025 –

By: Arm

Explore how industry leaders are defining artificial general intelligence (AGI) and what it may take to reach it. Developed by MIT Technology Review and Arm, this deep dive examines accelerating timelines, the compute innovations shaping progress, and why today’s models still fall short of true intelligence. Designed for engineers, researchers, and technology leaders navigating the future of AI.

Key Takeaways

AGI timelines are accelerating: Experts predict early AGI traits by 2026; 50% chance of full AGI by 2047.
AGI demands a smarter compute strategy: Achieving intelligence at scale will require more efficient architectures, new system design approaches, and intelligent orchestration.
Today’s AI isn’t truly intelligent: At publication, models lack reasoning, adaptability, and understanding.
Benchmarks must improve: Metrics like fluid and social intelligence better reflect AGI goals.
Scale isn’t everything: AGI requires new architectures and approaches, not just more compute.

AI Research

Marquis Who’s Who Honors Sandra E. Cheung, PhD, for Expertise in Artificial Intelligence

Published

57 minutes ago

September 10, 2025

The Editors

Marquis Who’s Who Honors Sandra E. Cheung, PhD, for Expertise in Artificial Intelligence

Sandra E. Cheung promotes AI literacy and drives technology transformations

She aims to cultivate artificial intelligence literacy among communities across the United States by planting seeds of knowledge that encourage individuals to manage future technology challenges.

BELMONT, CA, September 10, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ — Sandra E. Cheung, PhD, has been included in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Dr. Cheung is a distinguished leader in the technology and engineering sectors. Inspired by the emergence of artificial intelligence in the technology sector, she launched AImpowered in 2025, and the nonprofit organization has since been dedicated to educating people on safe and effective use of AI. As the chief executive officer of the firm, she has been instrumental in shaping the organization’s mission to bridge the digital divide and promote AI literacy, and she manages project timelines, coordinates meetings, implements key strategies, and monitors performance. Dr. Cheung also oversees budget expenditures, ensures compliance, and expertly supports her associates in their innovative pursuits.

Through AImpowered, Dr. Cheung offers workshops tailored for both children and adults, emphasizing the importance of in-person interactions for those affected by technological barriers. She is particularly dedicated to supporting individuals who struggle with technology, equipping them with the necessary tools to navigate the evolving landscape of AI. Dr. Cheung is also proud to curate content that helps parents gauge the influence of AI on home and school environments and to promote advocacy for children’s education in this field.

Drawing from her own experiences raising children during the rise of mobile phones, Dr. Cheung aids parents in grasping contemporary challenges posed by rapid technological advancement. Additionally, she prioritizes platforms that empower current technology workers to harness AI in their work. Notably, Dr. Cheung’s efforts through AImpowered prepare both parents and professionals to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world.

In her comprehensive role, Dr. Cheung relies on experience gained from a series of pivotal professional appointments. From 2021 to 2024, she was the chief of staff and head of operations, strategy and planning at Webex, where she held oversight of operational efficiency and strategic initiatives that supported the company’s growth in collaborative technologies. Between 2018 and 2020, Dr. Cheung excelled as the director of software engineering at Cisco, and her signature leadership was pivotal in driving software development projects that enhanced Cisco’s product offerings.

From 2012 to 2018, Dr. Cheung provided technology and management consulting services at Cadushi, advising organizations on optimizing their technological infrastructure and management practices. Additionally, during her tenure as the senior director of infrastructure engineering and production operations at Yahoo! from 2005 to 2012, she played a critical role in addressing a significant crisis related to data center capacity amid financial constraints. Drawing inspiration from Yahoo!’s engineers, she collaborated with leadership to drive innovation among the company’s teams, inspiring others to look beyond conventional methods and galvanizing teams around a shared vision.

Before joining Yahoo!, Dr. Cheung was the director of network planning, design and analysis at Covad from 2003 to 2005, before which she served as the director of network engineering at Covad Communications from 1998 to 2003. In these positions, she oversaw network infrastructure development and strategic planning. Dr. Cheung began her professional journey in 1994 as a senior member of technical staff at AT&T, where she thrived through 1998.

The pursuit of service opportunities prompted Dr. Cheung to accept an appointment as the co-chair of the engineering council at Founders Creative in 2025, through which she contributes her expertise to foster innovation within the organization. Her commitment to promoting and advancing women in various fields is reflected through her membership in Women in Collaboration and her substantial leadership tenure with the Girl Scouts; additionally, Dr. Cheung is a proud co-founder and the acting president of the Silicon Valley Ice Skating Association.

Dr. Cheung’s academic credentials are impressive and include a Bachelor of Science in computer science from Florida Institute of Technology, which she completed in 1988. She also holds a Doctor of Philosophy in computer science from the University of Florida, which she proudly earned in 1993. Dr. Cheung credits her adaptability and dedication to making a positive impact on others as central to her success across diverse personal and professional platforms.

Looking toward the future, Dr. Cheung aims to cultivate artificial intelligence literacy among communities across the United States by planting seeds of knowledge that encourage individuals to manage future technology challenges. She emphasizes education as a foundation that must extend throughout all stages of learning so that younger generations can navigate change without anxiety while remaining grounded in core human values. Through her initiatives, Dr. Cheung seeks to foster collaboration and help people embrace transformative advancements.

About Marquis Who’s Who®:

Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who’s Who in America®, Marquis Who’s Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who’s Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who’s Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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