Massachusetts debuts ChatGPT-powered AI assistant for all executive-branch employees

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Friday announced that the state’s 40,000 executive-branch employees will receive access to a ChatGPT-powered artificial intelligence assistant, a first for state government.

Massachusetts and OpenAI, ChatGPT’s developer, deployed the generative artificial intelligence tool following a competitive procurement process, a news release said. Use of the AI assistant, the announcement continued, will will be implemented in phases across the executive branch, starting with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, followed by other agencies.

In Friday’s announcement, Healey said the state’s goal in using the technology is making government work better and faster for people: “AI has the potential to transform how government works, which is why we’re excited to partner with OpenAI on this AI Assistant, which will ensure a safe and secure environment for employees and improve their ability to deliver better service to the people of Massachusetts.”

The tool will reportedly be housed within a walled-off, secure environment, to help protect state data and ensure that prompts don’t train public AI models. Use of the tool will be governed by terms and conditions set by the technology office’s privacy division and the state’s other regularly updated AI policies.

State Chief Information Officer Jason Snyder said the “secure, governed tool” will “empower our employees with a secure, governed tool that can enhance service delivery while maintaining the highest standards for data privacy, security, and thoughtful, transparent usage of AI. Our focus is not just adopting AI, but doing so in a way that reflects our values, and strengthens trust with the residents we serve.”

In conjunction with the rollout, the state said it will offer a series of optional training programs, designed to provide employees using the tool with a baseline understanding on best practices and strategic use.  

While states like Pennsylvania have launched limited pilot programs using an enterprise version of ChatGPT, Massachusetts is the first to announce a ChatGPT deployment across an entire branch of state government.