New Jersey, in partnership with U.S. Digital Response (USDR), has launched a set of AI training materials available to other states.
The New Jersey Department of Labor and USDR launched a set of large language model (LLM) training materials designed to improve language access to unemployment insurance (UI) for both English and Spanish speakers. The training materials, which were developed with support from Google, enable government agencies to create their own AI translation assistants for UI content using off-the-shelf generative AI models.
New Jersey and USDR said the new materials allow any jurisdiction to make public benefits information easier to understand and more accessible. New Jersey has already used these training materials to optimize its statewide generative AI platform to improve language access.
“With these training materials, government agencies across our state and the nation can begin leveraging the transformative potential of generative AI to make services more efficient, accessible, and responsive to the needs of all residents – regardless of what language they speak,” said NJ Chief AI Strategist Beth Simone Noveck.
In a press release, New Jersey and USDR highlighted key capabilities of the AI translation LLM training materials:
- Accurate, culturally relevant, and multilingual training data: Training data specific to UI that has been reviewed by policy experts for accuracy and tested by residents for readability.
- Compatible with commercial AI platforms: Government agencies can use almost any off-the-shelf LLM to develop their own AI translation assistants to produce high-quality, custom translations quickly and affordably.
- Data privacy and transparency: Only publicly available information is translated and templatized content does not contain personal or sensitive information. All training data is publicly accessible.
- Human-centered adoption: These AI translation training materials empower public servants to stay in control while using AI responsibly, enhancing task efficiency and safeguarding integrity and cultural relevance.
- Long-term maintenance: No developer maintenance is required. These materials are designed to integrate with off-the-shelf LLMs and come with tools to enable maintenance by any non-technical staff.
“These training materials will enable any government to easily create their own AI translation assistant for unemployment insurance and other benefit programs. It’s a prime example of how we can democratize generative AI for the public good by inviting people with lived experience navigating public benefits to participate in the design process,” said USDR Product Delivery Manager Marcie Chin. “We’re also showing that AI can drive accessibility without financial or operational burdens. This isn’t a technically complex solution – it’s customizable and open-source, giving governments the flexibility to adapt it to their unique needs. By adopting this ‘no-code’ approach, New Jersey is already seeing success in delivering public services that are effective, transparent, and responsible.
