New report maps states' AI journeys, from readiness to real-world impact

OAKLAND, Calif., May 1, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Code for America, the leading civic tech nonprofit that's making public services easier to navigate through technology, today released the second annual Government AI Landscape Assessment evaluating where states stand in their AI journeys, highlighting their strengths and focus areas, opportunities for advancement, and overall national trends.

Across the country, states are leveraging AI to transform the administration of public services. AI has moved from a one-time modernization tool to an institutional journey that spans agencies and departments.

The new report builds upon Code for America's 2025 Government AI Landscape Assessment while taking a closer look at how AI is being used to help eligible people find, apply for, and receive benefits. This new research, based on an updated rubric for 2026, includes an interactive visualization that illustrates where states stand on their AI journeys across four key stages:

• Readiness - Establishing the foundation for responsible AI adoption with a focus on leadership, capacity, and infrastructure
• Piloting - Building AI innovation labs and AI sandboxes for experimenting with AI under clear guardrails and timeframes for evaluation
• Implementation - Embedding AI into everyday operations, including AI-assisted case management, public-facing chat assistants, and document automation
• Impact - Fully monitoring and measuring AI systems for long-term impact

The analysis shows that while more states are moving from AI piloting to experimentation, efforts to operationalize AI use and measure impact remain in the early stages. However, there are a few states that are shaping the national trajectory of government AI, including Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Vermont. These states stand out for their strong executive leadership and cross-agency governance, enterprise data infrastructure, controlled experimentations, and structured pilot programs. Some are also developing early systems for measuring outcomes.

"Across the country, states are not waiting on the sidelines of this technological shift. They are stepping forward with urgency and a deep commitment to getting it right. We are seeing several states move from AI readiness to piloting and implementation," said Amanda Renteria, CEO of Code for America. "The opportunity in front of us is not just about adopting new technology, but about shaping it in ways that are human-centered and grounded in real outcomes for communities. When states lead with that mindset, they will do more than keep pace with innovation. They will define the future of public service in the AI era."

For example, Maryland partnered with Anthropic to deploy an AI-powered agent to help residents navigate the benefits application process. New Jersey is building on their NJ AI Assistant with specialized tools to expand public-facing content, validate documents, and analyze high volumes of resident feedback. North Carolina's Government Data Analytics Center is supporting uses of generative AI to enable document summarization for government workers. Pennsylvania is scaling an AI-driven tool to scan documents for legibility during the benefit application process, helping alleviate administration burden on caseworkers. Texas published a robust AI governance framework and is spearheading improved data quality across state agencies as it moves from pilots to experimentation. Utah launched a first-of-its-kind regulated pilot program of an AI chatbot to help accelerate prescription renewals and focus doctor time on patient care. And Vermont has created a public inventory of AI tools in use by state agencies.

Code for America conducted extensive research by reviewing publicly available materials to create the report. This includes executive orders, legislation and policies, agency guidance and reports, media and trade articles, and direct state input. The report was also reviewed by Code for America's AI Advisory Council, and each state was offered the opportunity to review the information and add input before publication.

With more than 15 years of experience, Code for America works shoulder-to-shoulder with partners across the country to identify a problem, find solutions, and deliver outcomes for real people. Since 2024, Code for America has actively partnered with government to improve how people access benefits and services through AI.

In 2025, Code for America worked in 27 states and Washington, D.C. to help 7 million people access $22 billion in benefits across the safety net, criminal justice, and tax benefits systems.

About Code for America 
Code for America, the country's leading civic tech nonprofit for over 15 years, believes that government can work for the people, and by the people, in the new digital age. We work with government at all levels across the country to make the delivery of public services better with technology. We partner with community organizations and governments to build digital tools and client-facing apps that help people navigate government, change policies, and improve programs. Our goal: a resilient government that works well for everyone. Learn more at codeforamerica.org.

Media Contact:
Kate Fogarty
703-507-0286
kate@vrge.us

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SOURCE Code for America