Worker-Centered AI Adoption in the Public Sector

When government agencies adopt artificial intelligence, the conversation too often starts with the technology — what it can do, how fast it can work, how much it might save. But the people who do the work every day, who understand the complexity of public service from the inside, are frequently the last ones consulted. That is a missed opportunity, and often a costly mistake.

This three-part series is designed for public sector managers and leaders navigating AI adoption in their workplaces. Workers' voices, expertise, and input are essential to successful implementation. When frontline employees are engaged as genuine partners in AI decisions — not as an afterthought — implementation goes better for agencies, for employees, and for the public they serve.

Drawing on real examples from cities and states that have done this work, this series gives public sector managers the tools and frameworks to have honest conversations with their workers, build governance structures that share power meaningfully, and design AI systems with their workforce rather than around them.

By the end of this series, participants will be able to:

• Initiate honest, trust-building conversations with workers about AI adoption — including what it means for their jobs, their expertise, and their rights — before technology decisions are made.

• Identify workers' legal rights and labor protections as they relate to workplace AI, and communicate transparently about how those rights will be honored.

• Build joint governance frameworks that give workers a meaningful role in setting policies, standards, and guardrails for how AI is used in their workplace.

• Apply co-design principles that position frontline workers as active contributors to AI development and implementation, not passive recipients of decisions made elsewhere.