From creating documents to helping answer emails, some Hudson Valley counties are integrating artificial intelligence into daily operations.
Glenn Marchi [Markey] is the Commissioner-chief information officer for the Orange County government. He said all 2,500 county employees are getting trained to use Microsoft Copilot AI.
“[For] most of our employees AI is new to them, so the goal there is to get our workforce AI ready. So that's what we're going to do the whole year, each quarter. Next quarter, we're going to have chat Microsoft Copilot 102, third quarter: 103, and then fourth quarter: 104,” Marchi said explaining the year’s plan for training with the AI.
Marchi said AI can help with tasks like dumping a long, complicated chain of emails into that chat and getting an executive summary, saving a worker valuable time.
He also said AI is great at writing and widely used in Orange County government.
“[Writing with AI is] probably the most used one now. People are using it to create processes, procedures, policies and plans. They create like a template and then they customize it after they get the nuts and bolts presented to them. So, it's heavily used. That's one of the most productive ways,” said Marchi.
In Dutchess County, Jacob Morrison, deputy commissioner for the Office of Central and Information Services, said the county is focused on AI for document review and proofreading to make sure public communications are easy to understand.
He also said AI policies are important to make sure the county uses the technology appropriately.
“You know, ethics is a big concern when it comes to AI, and we want to make sure that any use of it is being used to benefit the public and not add risk,” said Morrison.
In her State of the County address, Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino said AI can be a game-changer. She said the county will create an AI committee to develop a countywide AI policy
She also said during her address that the Department of Community and Family Services in the future will use an AI-powered call system for temporary assistance benefits.
Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger expressed skepticism toward AI, saying "AI data centers create few jobs, consume unsustainable amounts of energy, and threaten to drive up electricity costs for everyone."
She urged leaders in Albany to support a bill introduced by Democrats Sen. Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Anna Kelles, that would pause data center permits until more statewide regulations are in place to protect from “harmful impacts of these energy-guzzling facilities,” Metzger told WAMC.
Sullivan County Commissioner of Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer, Lorne Green, said in an email, “Sullivan County is taking a measured and deliberate approach to artificial intelligence… We are not broadly deploying AI in a way that impacts core government operations or decision-making.”
Similarly, a Rockland County spokesperson told WAMC via email that the county is exploring a limited and carefully controlled use of AI. The spokesperson added that as AI develops, “we expect that many departments may eventually use AI to support routine administrative tasks and improve efficiency.”
Mark Levigne, deputy director at the New York State Association of Counties, said his organization is helping counties to navigate the transition to AI.
“Our counties are on a continuum. [They] are at the beginning, generally, of looking at artificial intelligence and the ways that AI can support their back office operations and also their interactions with the public,” Levigne said.
He said some counties have already been using AI for a couple of years.
He explained many New York counties are – and should – develop their own AI policies to guide their work.
He said he thinks AI is where the internet was 20 years ago, meaning it’s not going anywhere. But, he suggested using human-centered approach.
“AI is not a replacement for a human. AI should be used, and we're encouraging AI use, to supplement or enhance or support the work of the humans that are doing the work of county governance across New York state. It should not replace the human. It should be a tool to support human endeavors at the county level,” Levigne explained.
Orange County CIO Marchi said he is collaborating with other counties in the Mid-Hudson Valley to share best practices on using AI in government.
Marchi also compared AI to the internet: some components pose significant risk, while others are beneficial. Either way, it’s the future.
“There's not a day I don't use, like ChatGPT or [Microsoft] Copilot. It's really become a way of life for me, and I would encourage people just experiment with ChatGPT, because it's free and everybody has a cell phone, right? Everybody's got a mobile phone. Sign up for chat GPT and experiment and then talk to me later, after a couple of weeks, and see how you feel about it,” said Marchi.
