The GovAI Coalition: This is Just the Beginning.

By Chelsea Palacio

The GovAI Coalition is entering a new phase to expand our efforts by beginning the process of transitioning into an independent nonprofit entity, building on a strong foundation of collaboration across public agencies. What began as an effort led by the City of San José has grown into a global network focused on helping governments use artificial intelligence responsibly. As the Coalition continues to expand, the City is transitioning it into an independent nonprofit organization to support long-term sustainability and broader impact.

This moment of transition marks an important milestone, but it also reflects a larger theme that has guided the Coalition from the start: this is just the beginning.

The GovAI Coalition was created in 2023 as a response to a growing need across government agencies for clear, practical guidance on AI. As new AI tools became widely available, public agencies faced similar questions around privacy, safety, and responsible use cases.

The City of San José helped lead early efforts by developing generative AI guidelines and sharing its approach with other agencies. This work drew national interest and highlighted a gap: government agencies across the country were independently working on the same challenges around using and governing AI, but without a shared framework.

To address this, San José partnered with six other agencies to form the GovAI Coalition. The goal was to bring governments together to collaborate, share resources, and create standardized tools that could be used across jurisdictions. From the beginning, the Coalition focused on reducing duplication, aligning with emerging standards, and helping agencies adopt AI in a way that serves the public good.

This shared effort built a foundation for ongoing collaboration, with the understanding that as technology evolves, so must the way governments work together. From the start, the Coalition has reflected a forward-looking approach, grounded in the idea that this work will continue to grow and adapt over time.

• 2022: City of San José begins developing early guidance for responsible AI use in government.

• July 2023: City of San José releases their Generative AI Guidelines, drawing national interest from public agencies.

• November 2023: GovAI Coalition convened its first meeting with about 50 government leaders.

• March 2024: Coalition board is established with representatives from multiple agencies. GovAI Coalition expands membership to the public.

• April 2024: Coalition publishes first shared resources, including AI policy templates used by hundreds of agencies.

• December 2024: Coalition hits 1,000 members. San José hosts inaugural GovAI Coalition Summit at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

In just over two years, the GovAI Coalition has helped shape how governments approach AI.

The Coalition has developed and shared practical tools such as AI policy templates, factsheets, procurement guidance, and public engagement tools that agencies can adapt to their own needs. These resources help governments move faster while maintaining strong standards for privacy and accountability.

The Coalition has also expanded training and education by building AI upskilling trainings to help public sector staff gain the skills needed to use AI effectively.

Through committees, working groups, and its annual summit in San José, the Coalition has created a space for agencies to collaborate, share ideas, and develop solutions together.

These accomplishments show what is possible when governments work together. At the same time, they point to the opportunities ahead. As AI continues to evolve, the need for shared standards, tools, and collaboration will only grow.

The Coalition has grown rapidly, now including more than 3,000 members from over 900 agencies across multiple countries. This growth reflects a strong demand for collaboration as governments navigate the opportunities and risks of AI.

To support this momentum, the City of San José is transitioning the Coalition into an independent nonprofit. This new structure will allow the Coalition to access grants and philanthropic funding, build dedicated staffing, and expand partnerships with governments, academic institutions, and industry partners.

The transition will take place over several months, with the Coalition operating with an interim fiscal sponsor while applying for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. The transition effort is supported by grant funding from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

While the structure is evolving, the mission remains the same. The Coalition will continue to focus on ensuring that public sector AI serves the public good through shared resources, standards, and collaboration.

The City of San José will remain an active partner, continuing to provide leadership while supporting the Coalition’s independence and long-term growth.

The City Council presentation by San José staff can be viewed on the City of San José YouTube channel (timestamp 34:30).

This transition is not a conclusion. It is a step forward that positions the GovAI Coalition to expand its reach and deepen its impact. As more agencies join and new challenges emerge, the Coalition will continue to evolve alongside them. This is just the beginning.

This milestone reflects the work of many public servants and partners who helped build the GovAI Coalition from the ground up.

This work would not be possible without the GovAI Coalition board members, facilitation team, committee leads and working group participants who contributed their time and expertise to advance the Coalition’s mission.

Thank you to the thousands of members across local, state, and federal governments who continue to share knowledge, develop resources, and support one another in the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

Finally, the Coalition would not be where it is today without the support of our partners and funders, including the Packard Foundation, whose contributions are helping to position the Coalition for long-term success.

The evolution of the GovAI Coalition reflects how far this work has come in just two years. The transition to a nonprofit strengthens our efforts and ensures GovAI Coalition tools and resources continue to grow. With a strong foundation in place and a global network of partners, the Coalition is well positioned for what comes next, because this is just the beginning.

• Khaled Tawfik, City of San José, CA

• Jonathan Behnke, City of San Diego, CA

• Ethan Benatan, Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet)

• Anthony Fisher, State of Colorado

• Ryan Kurtzman, City of Long Beach, CA

• Sabra Schneider, City of Bellevue, WA

• Jaime Wascalus, City of Saint Paul, MN

• Albert Glee, City Privacy and AI Officer

• Leila Doty, Senior Privacy and AI Analyst

• Chelsea Palacio, Public Information Manager

Community Engagement Committee

• Liz Buehler, Salt Lake City, UT

• Meg Young, Data & Society

Procurement Committee

• Aaron Bushman, Colorado Office of Economic Development & International Trade

• Emily Royall, Partners for Public Good

Industry Relations Committee

• Teagan Trammell, Sugar Land, TX

• Yar Mityuk, TriMet, OR

Use Cases Committee

• Kari Johnson, Scottsdale, AZ

• Nichole Sterling, Town of Nederland, CO

• Hemant Desai, ICMA

Data Governance Committee

• Arti Tangri, City of San José, CA

• Sarah Carrier, City of Seattle, WA

Readiness & Adoption Committee

• Saher Noor, City of Detroit, MI

• Rich Oppenheim, Regional Government Services JPA

• Jim Bersig, Assistant Chief Information Officer

• Shawn Tamrazi, AI Analyst

• Namrata Batra Agrawal, Product and Projects Manager

• Jiri Rutner, Division Manager – Data Operations & Project Support, Homelessness Response

• Johnny Phan, Chief Deputy City Attorney

• Diana Yuan, Deputy City Attorney

• Kerry Adams-Harper, Deputy Director of the Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs

• Angela Zhao, former City of San José staff and GovAI Coalition Facilitation team member

• Nancy Klein, former City of San José Director of the Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs

• Brendan Daly, City of San Diego, CA

• Andrew Ngui, City of Kansas City, MO

• David and Lucile Packard Foundation

• Government Technology (GovTech)

About the author

Chelsea Palacio is the Public Information Manager of the Information Technology Department for the City of San José.

Note: The opinions expressed in these articles are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views, positions, or policies of the GovAI Coalition or the authors’ affiliated professional organization(s).

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This is the blog for the GovAI Coalition, a coalition of local, state, and federal agencies united in their mission to promote responsible and purposeful AI in the public sector.