November 7, 2025
Originally published on LinkedIn
Federal
Leaders Link AI Growth to Legal Immigration and Jobs
At a Washington, D.C. conference, Sen. Mike Rounds and manufacturing leader Jay Timmons emphasized that legal immigration and expanded manufacturing jobs are essential to sustaining U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. They argued that AI infrastructure demands will require both skilled trades and permitting reform to accelerate development. This discussion underscores a critical but often overlooked reality: AI innovation isn’t just about algorithms, it depends on people, infrastructure, and policy. For public leaders, aligning immigration, workforce development, and permitting processes with AI goals is a strategic imperative, not a side issue.
Senate Bill Seeks AI Job Impact Reporting from Agencies
A bipartisan bill from Senators Mark Warner and Josh Hawley would require federal agencies and major companies to report quarterly on AI-related job losses, new hires, retraining efforts, and unfilled positions due to automation. The U.S. Department of Labor would compile and publish the data with input from other federal offices. This proposal reflects growing concern about the opaque effects of AI on employment and the need for data-driven workforce policy. For public leaders, it’s a reminder that transparency and proactive planning are essential to managing technological disruption in both government and the broader economy.
Modernizing Federal Data Storage for AI and Analytics
Federal agencies are exploring high-performance storage solutions to support growing demands from AI, analytics, and cloud-based operations. Vendors like Pure Storage are promoting scalable, energy-efficient systems tailored to government needs. As agencies modernize their digital infrastructure, storage is often overlooked but foundational. Smart investments here can unlock better data use, reduce energy costs, and future-proof systems for AI-driven services.
AI Guardrails Tied to National Security Concerns
A recent article explores how the U.S. government is accelerating AI adoption for cyber defense while grappling with the need for regulatory guardrails to manage national security risks. As AI becomes embedded in national defense strategies, the challenge isn’t just technical—it’s institutional. Public leaders must ensure that oversight mechanisms evolve alongside deployment to maintain trust and democratic accountability.
State
Beeck Center Supports AI Use in State and Local Government
The Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University is launching initiatives to guide state and local governments as they expand use of generative AI tools, focusing on responsible deployment and public value. This kind of institutional support is critical as governments move from AI policy talk to practical implementation. The Beeck Center’s involvement signals a growing recognition that public sector innovation needs both ethical guardrails and operational guidance.
AI Readiness Project Expands to State Governments
The AI Readiness Project, initially focused on local governments, is now offering support to state agencies to help them build foundational AI capabilities through training, experimentation, and peer learning. This expansion reflects growing demand among state leaders for structured, low-risk ways to build AI literacy and governance capacity. As states face pressure to modernize services, initiatives like this can help bridge the gap between interest and implementation.
Local
Tucson Police Used Border Funds for AI Surveillance Tool
The Tucson Police Department used $277,500 from Arizona’s Border Security Fund to purchase AI-powered surveillance software from Cobwebs Technologies, despite not using it for border-related crimes. The software, capable of tracking individuals via social media and mobile data, has raised legal and privacy concerns among lawmakers and civil rights advocates. This case highlights the growing disconnect between the intended use of public safety funds and how emerging surveillance technologies are actually deployed. It also underscores the urgent need for clearer legal frameworks and oversight mechanisms to govern AI surveillance in local law enforcement.
International
Nvidia Invests $2 Billion in India’s AI Sector
NVIDIA is committing $2 billion to expand its presence in India, joining other major tech firms investing in the country’s growing AI ecosystem. The Indian government is also increasing funding for deep tech initiatives to position the country as a global AI hub. India’s strategic push into AI, backed by both public and private investment, signals a shift in global innovation centers. For governments elsewhere, it’s a reminder that national AI capacity is increasingly tied to coordinated public-private action and long-term infrastructure planning.
UK Audit Office Flags AI Skills Gap in Government
The UK National Audit Office warns that a lack of digital and data skills is hindering the public sector’s ability to adopt and govern AI technologies effectively. Several departments are experimenting with tools like Microsoft Copilot, but progress is uneven due to workforce limitations. This is a familiar challenge across governments: the technology moves faster than institutional capacity. Without strategic investment in digital skills, public agencies risk both underutilizing AI and mismanaging its risks.
Education
Icelandian Teachers to Use Anthropic AI for Lesson Planning
Anthropic is partnering with Iceland’s public sector to provide AI tools to hundreds of teachers, aiming to streamline lesson preparation and reduce administrative burdens. This initiative reflects a growing trend of using AI to support educators. For public education systems, the key challenge will be ensuring these tools enhance equity and align with national curriculum goals, not just efficiency.
States Urged to Redefine Student Success for AI Era
A new commentary highlights the growing disconnect between traditional academic metrics and the skills needed in an AI-driven economy, calling on states to adopt broader definitions of student success. Efforts like the National Governors Association‘s ‘Let’s Get Ready’ roadmap and state-level initiatives in Kentucky, New York, and North Carolina aim to integrate durable skills and AI literacy into K–12 education. This piece underscores a critical shift in public education: moving from test-based achievement to competency-based readiness. For state leaders, the challenge is not just policy reform but building the infrastructure, including curriculum, assessments, and teacher support, that makes 21st-century skills real and measurable in every classroom.
Public Sector
AI Is Reshaping Legal Work in Major Law Firms
A Harvard Law School event explored how artificial intelligence is transforming operations in large law firms, with insights from leaders at A&O Shearman on global AI strategy and workforce impact. While focused on private law firms, the discussion offers a preview of how AI could streamline legal workflows in public agencies—from contract review to case analysis—raising important questions about legal workforce readiness and ethical oversight.
AI Learning Series Highlights Tech’s Role in Public Services
Suellen Ventura is hosting a series of 30-minute sessions introducing various AI technologies and their applications in public sector services, aiming to showcase their potential impact on government operations. Short, focused learning formats like this are a smart way to build AI literacy across public agencies. As governments navigate digital transformation, accessible education is key to turning curiosity into capability.
AI Tools Aim to Predict Security Threats Early
A new report from consulting firm Kearney & Company explores how advanced AI systems are being used in aerospace and defense to detect and respond to threats before they materialize. The approach emphasizes public–private collaboration and real-time data analysis to enhance national security readiness. While the defense sector often leads in AI adoption, the broader public sector should take note—early threat detection isn’t just about military readiness. These tools could inform emergency management, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure protection across all levels of government.
AI Startups Target Food Waste and Climate Solutions
This week’s Causeartist roundup highlights FruitScout, a U.S.-based startup that raised $4.8 million to use AI in reducing food waste, alongside updates on global climate funding and $100K accelerator grants for impact-driven ventures. AI-driven solutions to food waste and climate resilience are increasingly relevant to public agencies facing sustainability mandates. Governments should watch how these startups scale and consider partnerships or pilots that align with public goals.
Analytical AI Advances Pose Challenge to Complacency
A recent essay by strategist Mick Ryan argues that while generative AI garners attention, the rapid progress in analytical AI deserves equal scrutiny, especially for its implications in defense and public sector planning. This is a timely reminder that public institutions must not fixate solely on flashy AI tools like chatbots. Analytical AI, used in forecasting, logistics, and decision support, may have the most immediate impact on how governments operate and serve communities.
Generative AI Spurs Growth in Cybersecurity Tools
A new market report forecasts increased adoption of generative AI in cybersecurity from 2025 to 2031, particularly in sectors like government, healthcare, and finance where sensitive data is prevalent. The report highlights growing use of static application security testing (SAST) to manage AI-related risks. As governments integrate generative AI into operations, the parallel investment in cybersecurity signals a maturing understanding of AI’s dual-use nature. Public leaders should treat cybersecurity as foundational infrastructure, not an afterthought, in AI deployment.
Data Centers Face Growing Strain from AI Demands
A Brookings analysis highlights how the rise of generative AI is driving massive increases in energy and infrastructure needs for data centers, raising concerns about sustainability and national competitiveness. As governments adopt AI, they must also grapple with the physical infrastructure it requires. Public leaders should be thinking not just about digital policy, but also about energy grids, zoning, and environmental impact tied to AI’s backend systems.
New Nonprofit to Support Government Modernization Efforts
Partners for Public Good, a newly launched nonprofit, will collaborate with state and local governments to address persistent challenges in procurement, budgeting, staffing, and technology modernization. This initiative reflects a growing recognition that structural barriers are holding back public sector innovation. By focusing on the nuts and bolts of government operations, the nonprofit could help build the institutional capacity needed for long-term change.