Policy & Practice | Fall 2026

ai in focus

By David Turner

Laying the Groundwork for AI Involvement: Why Data Governance Is the Ultimate Prerequisite

H uman Services agencies provide a vital safety net for millions of people. They manage food assistance programs. They oversee statewide health care access. They provide child welfare initiatives and emergency support. These organizations, however, face immense pressure. Though often lumped together and summarized as simply needing to “do more with less,” the challenges facing these agencies today are many. The most notable of these include workforce shortages, changing eligibility requirements, and legacy technology. In isolation, these hurdles are serious enough; in combination, difficulties might seem exponential. While artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a potential solution—one that might allow safety net systems to operate more efficiently, reduce caseworker burnout, or dramatically improve constituent experiences— its value to organizations is limited without proper data governance. How Is AI driving Operational Efficiency? As it has in other industries, AI may be used in assisting state human Multilingual AI agents might allow state residents to engage through a more preferred channel (phone, chat, or web) and receive faster responses from applicants. Automated pro cesses might allow for quicker access to public health information, status checks, or application completion. services agencies’ attempts to: n Simplify User Experience:

Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid work verification efforts. n New Jersey: Through the New Jersey Innovation Authority, the State of New Jersey launched the NJ AI Assistant (Assistant) in 2024. 2 Since then, the state says agencies have used the tool to analyze taxpayer feedback and have accordingly adjusted certain automated offerings based on that analysis—resulting in an increase of self-resolved issues. New Jersey says it updated the Assistant’s infrastructure and AI model as recently as March 2026. Why Is Data Governance the Ultimate Prerequisite for Possible Government AI Tools? AI models are only as good as the data feeding them and the rules

n Boost Staff Efficiency: Caseworkers, no longer burdened with repetitive administrative work (file and document summary, meeting preparation), may find time to tackle secondary, nuanced, or more attention-demanding tasks. n Advance Analysis and Mitigation: AI can cross-check submitted appli cation data against state records in real time, possibly helping detect anomalies and mitigating risks.

States Moving From Theoretical to Operational n Maryland: The Maryland

Governor’s Office reports 1 plans to experiment with AI as a document processing tool. Additionally, the state says multiple agencies plan to use AI for various Supplemental

Illustrations by Chris Campbell

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Policy & Practice Fall 2026