Many reports about the use of artificial intelligence in the public sector focus on its potential and its drawbacks. But what about the public sector employees who have suddenly been thrust into a brave new world in which AI is either a part of their day to day life – or will be at some point in the future?

Gerald Young, senior researcher at MissionSquare Research Institute has attempted to answer that question in a June report titled “Artificial intelligence in the Workforce.” The report’s conclusions were based on an online survey of 2,000 state and local government employees between January 3 and 6, 2025.

As the study states it was “intended to look not at the technology so much as the employee experience and the significance of those employee impacts to state and local government employers”

Some of the major findings:

• “46 percent of respondents say they are using AI tools in their work.”

• Yet, “only 17 percent said they use then on a daily level.”

• “48 percent report that their department has reached an advanced or moderate level of AI implementation.”

• “More than half reported improved work quality and productivity while more than 60 percent report the community being satisfied with how those AI tools have impacted them.”

• “42 percent feel they are more knowledgeable about their workplace use of AI than their co-workers are, although only 28 percent report having received training from their employer.”

• “More than half expressed minimal concern about significant retraining needs or the potential for AI to replace their job function, but 20 percent are very or extremely concerned.”

As might be expected, the survey found that there’s a wide variety in the types of government jobs that are using AI on a regular basis. Top of the list are engineering, finance IT, Law and Management, which reported using AI on a regular basis – with some 28 percent of them indicating that they do daily. 

At the other end of the spectrum were people who work in public safety. There, only 8 percent of employees reported using AI on a daily basis, and 54% indicated that they never use it.  

Despite the widespread use of AI, respondents reported a number of concerns, with data privacy/security, reliability of AI systems and training requirements topping the list.

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