California Gov. Gavin Newsom said on April 30 that the government is launching three major new deployments of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tech in state operations aimed at easing highway congestion, improving road safety, and streamlining customer service for taxpayers.
The new GenAI deployments in state government operations mark the latest phase in the implementation of Newsom’s 2023 executive order to harness AI for more efficient and responsive government. The executive order directed state agencies to study the potential uses and risks of generative AI and then engage with lawmakers to create policy recommendations for responsible use of AI.
“GenAI is here, and it’s growing in importance every day,” the governor said in announcing the deployments.
“We know that state government can be more efficient, and as the birthplace of tech it is only natural that California leads in this space,” the governor said. “In the Golden State, we know that efficiency means more than cutting services to save a buck, but instead building and refining our state government to better serve all Californians.”
The first GenAI project, led by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), uses Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI technology to analyze real-time and historical traffic data. The AI system can detect bottlenecks, enhance incident response times, and predict congestion patterns, helping Caltrans optimize traffic flow across the state, the governor’s office said.
As the project evolves, Caltrans will expand the system’s use of large-scale roadway data to proactively identify safety risks and implement changes. The governor’s office said that approach to traffic management could lead to quicker commutes and fewer traffic-related delays across California’s major transportation corridors.
A second GenAI deployment is focusing on traffic safety, especially for vulnerable road users such as bicyclists and pedestrians. Caltrans is partnering with Deloitte and Anthropic’s Gemini GenAI to analyze crash data, road conditions, and equity indicators. The system will help the agency locate high-risk areas and recommend safety upgrades before collisions happen.
In future phases, Caltrans will integrate more datasets to improve the precision of these recommendations. “Using GenAI through smart, responsible implementation will be a game changer in developing solutions to ease traffic gridlock and reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roadways,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.
The third deployment comes from the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA), which will use Anthropic’s Claude AI to assist call center staff in responding to taxpayer inquiries. During a 10-month pilot, the tool helped reduce average response times by rapidly searching more than 16,000 pages of reference material.
The governor’s office said this approach not only improves service during peak filing seasons but also minimizes the need to reassign staff from other duties. “This project will serve as a proof point moving forward to see if we can scale this technology across state government call centers,” said CDTFA Director Trista Gonzalez.
The governor’s office said the state plans to continue expanding GenAI use in areas like housing, workforce planning, and legislative analysis, with additional deployments expected by summer 2025.
