The state of California inked a deal with Anthropic in late June to bring generative artificial intelligence tools into government agencies – a move that extends to the Los Angeles area.
Per the agreement, San Francisco-based Anthropic will provide state agencies a 50% discount on its generative AI chatbot, Claude.
The company will also provide free training on how to use the product and automate specific job processes, like summarizing documents.
Other local governments in California, like Los Angeles city and county, will be able to utilize this offer as well.
“This partnership is about using technology the California way: responsibly, transparently, and in service of people,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “AI should not replace the human work of government; it should help our workers move faster, solve problems more effectively and deliver better results for Californians.”
Rapidly adopting AI
Though the agreement was announced in late June, Claude has long been a part of the state’s government operations. The California Department of Technology built a bare-bones AI tool back in December called Poppy. Using 11 different AI models – including Claude – Poppy was built with custom workflows designed to help specific agency operations.
The state also used Claude to manage a portal in which everyday Californians could discuss using AI in the workplace.
“As state employees, our goal is to provide our fellow Californians with the best possible service,” Government Operations Agency Secretary Nick Maduros said in a statement. “To do that, we need to make sure our teams have access to the best modern tools.”
Though the government is known for its sluggish bureaucracy and antiquated technology, both California and Los Angeles have been quick to embrace AI. The Los Angeles County Superior Court launched an AI pilot program in February that would allow certain judges to summarize motions and draft rulings. The company behind the program, New York-based Learned Hand, already operates in 10 different states.
As of 2024, the city also used AI in the form of assistance chatbots, email drafting and code programming of non-sensitive materials, according to the Information Technology Agency of Los Angeles.
