What was once the preserve of tech giants is now becoming a practical tool for municipalities to improve public services, support employees, and plan for the future.

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Future city model and long-term vision. Photo: Midjourney

During the conversation, Mayor Matt Mahan described a city that is not chasing trends, but building a sustainable foundation. San José is implementing an AI Upskilling Program for employees, leading the GovAI Coalition to connect hundreds of agencies across the US, and launching the AI ​​Incentive Program, the first city-run funding initiative.

All of these moves tell a larger story: San José isn’t just experimenting with AI — it’s shaping a model of a future city where innovation is tied to responsibility, social goals, and long-term vision.

AI training program for city workforce

A clear example of San José’s commitment to AI is the AI ​​Upskilling Program, run in partnership with San José State University (SJSU). The 12-week program requires city employees to spend just one hour per session acquiring skills that can be applied immediately on the job—not theory, but real tools, real situations.
Instead of just hearing or reading about AI, students build their own AI assistants and test them with real-world administrative challenges.

The results were impressive: the program saved 10,000-20,000 hours of work, with many departments reporting productivity gains of up to 20%. This meant backlogs were processed faster, and services reached people sooner.

“While the private sector has seen tremendous productivity gains over the past 50 years, the public sector has largely stagnated,” Mayor Mahan explained. “AI can be a tool to bridge that gap. We don’t see AI as a threat, but as an opportunity to help our employees serve our citizens better.” San José now aims to train all IT staff and expand to more than 1,000 employees next year.

Practical AI Applications: Human Stories

Mayor Mahan shared two examples: Andrea, a Department of Transportation employee, used a custom-designed AI assistant to help the city quickly reapply for $2.5 million in funding after the electric vehicle subsidy was suspended. Stephen, an IT employee, created an AI tool that analyzed thousands of citizen responses to the 311 system, automatically identifying topics like “garbage” or “water,” saving more than 500 hours a year.

According to Mr. Mahan, this is proof that AI does not replace humans, but increases their performance, helping employees focus on higher-value interactions with the community.

Ensuring ethical use of AI

San José is one of the pioneers of data privacy in the US. The city has issued guidelines for the use of generative AI for employees, developed a three-year Citywide Data Strategy, and joined the Bloomberg Urban Data Alliance.

Each course in the program emphasizes ethics, transparency, and regular bias testing, helping employees understand not only how to use AI, but how to use it responsibly.

GovAI Alliance: San José Leading the National AI Movement

In addition to training city staff, San José is helping governments across the country learn how to use AI responsibly.

Launched in 2023 with 50 member agencies, the GovAI Coalition has now expanded to more than 850 local, state and federal agencies, serving 150 million people.

The alliance acts as a “laboratory of democracy” where governments share open-source tools, experiences, and practical lessons to apply AI safely and effectively.

“Unlike the private sector, cities are not in competition with each other,” said Mayor Mahan. “We are all working toward the same goal: to better serve our citizens.”

Members are currently co-developing a language translation GPT model, building an AI contract library, and a transparency standard (AI FactSheet) to ensure AI providers publicly disclose their data and privacy policies before signing contracts with the government.

San José is showing what happens when a city treats innovation as a strategy, not just a slogan. The city trains its employees to master technology, connects more than 850 public agencies through the GovAI alliance, and supports AI startups that tackle pressing social problems.

(According to Forbes)

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/san-jose-va-ke-hoach-dan-dau-cuoc-cach-mang-ai-trong-chinh-quyen-thanh-pho-2463771.html