The Department of Homeland Security has released a new resource designed to help federal, state and local government officials improve service delivery through the responsible use and deployment of generative artificial intelligence, or GenAI, technologies.
DHS said Tuesday that the Playbook for Public Sector Generative Artificial Intelligence Deployment includes case studies from the department’s pilot programs, which tested GenAI applications in strengthening investigative leads, helping local governments develop hazard mitigation plans and creating innovative training opportunities for immigration officers.
“This new resource draws from our own experiences to help state and local leaders adopt AI technologies in their own work. Safely harnessing the potential of GenAI requires collaboration across government, industry, academia, and civil society, and we hope state and local leaders join our effort to foster a responsible, mission-focused culture of innovation,” said Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of DHS and a previous Wash100 awardee.
Actionable Steps to Advance Use of GenAI
The playbook provides actionable steps that public sector organizations can take to advance their own use of generative AI tools. The steps address policy, technical and administrative considerations and are classified into seven categories.
Those categories include developing mission-enhancing GenAI use cases; building coalitions and fostering effective governance; leveraging tools and infrastructure; using AI responsibly and safely; measuring progress and defining success; training employees and hiring technical talent; and seeking user feedback.
To advance mission-enhancing GenAI use cases, specific steps include aligning GenAI deployment’s potential mission and value with the organization’s priorities and scoping a pilot that improves a specific mission-enhancing process.
