New York State to offer AI training to state employees

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced a pilot program designed to prepare the state’s tens of thousands of employees with tools and training to use artificial intelligence responsibly.

The program, which Hochul teased in her 2025 State of the State address back in January, was developed with InnovateUS, an online learning platform used by more than 150 U.S. government agencies. Also involved is the New York State Office of Information Technology Services, which will guide other state agencies.

The two-part training is designed to teach New York State employees about responsible AI use and offer a secure digital environment where employees can hone their skills. ITS developed a proprietary generative AI sandbox powered by Google Gemini for employees to use.

Participants will include volunteers from myriad state agencies, and the results are hoped to inform the next phase of AI adoption across the state government.

The program is scheduled to conclude at the end of the year, according to a news release.

With the program, New York joins several other states that have used pilot programs to test AI in government. Pennsylvania ran a yearlong ChatGPT pilot program that found it was a “job enhancer” for most employees, saving each worker an average of eight hours per week. Last September, Arizona’s Department of Administration conducted a four-week pilot program on Gemini for Google Workspace that included more than 200 employees.

“From the moment we first announced Empire AI, I vowed to put New York State at the forefront of the AI revolution and to ensure that our journey forward was safe, responsible and thoughtful,” Hochul said in the release, referencing a project that funds supercomputers that can be used by scientific researchers. “I appreciate ITS leadership for their work and look forward to reviewing the results and hearing ideas from our talented workforce about how we can innovate to better serve New Yorkers.”

Dru Rai, the state’s chief information officer, said the project makes New York a national leader.

“This is an exciting moment on this journey — responsible AI will bring us limitless possibilities to enact positive change to the way our government operates and serves New Yorkers, all while giving our hardworking employees an opportunity to build and grow their own skills for the future,” Rai said in the release.