Route Fifty, March 2026
Cities across the U.S. are looking to experiment with and deploy artificial intelligence to enhance their operations and service delivery. As budget and staffing shortages remain barriers for municipalities, however, cities should call on nearby higher education institutions for a helping hand, researchers say. A new brief from the nonprofit New America calls on cities and academic institutions to capitalize on their shared goal of adopting artificial intelligence for public good. The brief suggests that, by carving out partnerships to share knowledge and expertise on the technology, local governments and higher education institutions can also boost workforce and economic development opportunities.
But such partnerships “remain uncommon” and slow to develop, according to the brief. City leaders must engage with higher education institutions to help the public sector deploy AI into government responsibly and effectively to address public issues, like permitting, benefits access, transportation and other critical services.
