California Shines at Inaugural AI 50 Awards

California has cemented its status as a leader in artificial intelligence, with 10 individuals and organizations from the state being recognized at the inaugural AI 50 Awards. The awards, presented by the Center for Public Sector AI, celebrate those making significant contributions to the adoption and advancement of AI within government agencies.

The winners from California represent a wide range of public and private sector entities, showcasing the state's collaborative approach to AI development. Individual honorees include Leila Doty, a privacy and AI analyst from San Jose, and Ben Palacio, a senior AI analyst from Placer County. Doty was recognized for creating San Jose's AI framework and managing the GovAI Coalition, while Palacio was lauded for his thought leadership in using AI for local government and his work on integrated chatbots.

Several state and local government agencies were also honored:

California Department of Technology (CDT): The CDT was recognized for its leadership in the procurement of AI and generative AI solutions, including establishing a "sandbox" environment to test real-world applications.

California Department of Transportation (Caltrans): Caltrans was awarded for its partnership with Accenture and other agencies to launch a generative AI solution that provides insights on traffic mobility to improve road safety and reduce congestion.

City of Long Beach: Long Beach was recognized for its use of AI to drive progress in city operations and for its publicly available AI use case registry.

San Mateo County: The county's use of AI to improve emergency response, health services, and resident engagement, along with a new AI chat and search system, earned it a spot on the list.

The awards also recognized private companies that are helping government agencies with their AI initiatives. California-based winners in this category include:

Automotus: For its curb management solution that automates data collection to streamline parking and enforcement.

Cisco: For embedding AI into its cybersecurity, networking, and collaboration products for state and local governments.

GovAI Coalition: For its work in bringing together government members to promote the safe and responsible use of AI.

Laserfiche: For its AI-driven tools that help government agencies summarize and extract information from dense documents.

The strong showing by California highlights its commitment to leveraging AI to improve public services and its position at the forefront of AI innovation in the public sector.