Massachusetts becomes first state to use ChatGPT in the executive branch, drawing criticism

"Massachusetts is introducing an artificial intelligence assistant for its state workforce, becoming the first in the nation to do so, Gov. Maura Healey announced last week. The AI assistant - operated by OpenAI's ChatGPT - will be implemented in phases across the entirety of the executive branch's nearly 40,000 state employees, beginning with staff in the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security. Other executive branch agencies will be onboarded over the coming months, and will get access to optional training programs."

""This is about making government faster, more efficient, and more effective for the people we serve," Healey said in a news release. "AI has the potential to transform how government works, which is why we're excited to partner with OpenAI on this AI Assistant, which will ensure a safe and secure environment for employees and improve their ability to deliver better service to the people of Massachusetts.""

"The Healey administration said the AI tool will be "walled-off" in a secure environment that protects state data and prohibits employee input from being used to train public AI models. But some state workers are already wary of the new AI assistant - and of the state's embrace of the technology at large. The National Association of Government Employees told WBUR it was unhappy with the announcement and said Healey's administration is "rushing" the introduction of AI."

Massachusetts will deploy an AI assistant operated by OpenAI's ChatGPT for nearly 40,000 executive branch employees, starting with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security and expanding to other agencies with optional training. The administration says the tool will be walled off in a secure environment protecting state data and prohibiting employee input from being used to train public models. The governor framed the initiative as a way to make government faster, more efficient, and more effective. Some state workers and the National Association of Government Employees expressed concerns that the rollout is rushed and could threaten job duties, security, and privacy, while public responses on Reddit voiced distrust of OpenAI.

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