Four steps for a thoughtful approach to introducing AI policy, training and programs in state and local government.
By Tia Christopher | October 16 2026 | Originally posted as an OpEd in GovTech
Top Gun is one of my favorite movies. The perennial classic is half action-fueled eye candy and half recruitment vehicle. Even after I’d joined the Navy and found myself in the throes of boot camp, the theme song from Top Gun would come on the loudspeaker, and all of a sudden pushups, running or endless cleaning wasn’t that bad.
Right now, organizations feel like they need to deploy AI like Maverick: flashy and fast. It’s easy to get distracted by the speed, the expert-level knowledge and the promised competitive edge. Efficiency metrics and automated workflows become the sonic boom, and you're either in the cockpit or left behind.
But I want to shift gears to a softer lesson anchored in my boot camp experience. Days are long and overwhelming. You are stretched mentally, physically and emotionally. How you navigate months of that environment not only shapes you in that moment but instills habits and strategies that forever shape you.
My strategy was breaking the day into segments: wake-up to breakfast; breakfast to lunch; lunch to dinner; and dinner to lights out. Taken as a whole, one day in boot camp could be overwhelming. But broken into segments, it was something I could tackle.
Workplace AI rollout for state and local government can benefit from the same approach. Consider building on these four steps:
Understand what you're working with: Lean into the discovery phase. From surveys and listening sessions to thoughtful interdepartmental roundtables, understanding how employees want to use AI for their specific roles will give you a strategic edge going forward. You can't build an implementation strategy that sticks based solely on what was purchased. Before deploying, consider how AI can augment your team and hit your strategic objectives first. Don't start with technology. Start with the environment the technology is entering.
Establish guardrails early: What can employees use? What shouldn't they put into an AI system? What requires human review? What happens when something goes wrong? What experimentation is encouraged? Ambiguous governance doesn't necessarily prevent AI use, but it can drive it underground. When shaping your AI use policy or other governance documents, consider practical usage versus solely policy and legal necessity. What does application of the policy look like in real time? Employees need to know both where the boundaries are and where they have permission to explore.
Train for your environment: Encourage employees to practice for their actual jobs and the nuances of their departments. Consider a training rollout that includes AI literacy, department-specific training, recognition of AI errors and corresponding escalation protocols, use-case-based workshops, and the development of internal critical thinking. If you are rolling out generative for permitting applications and review, consider offering training on recognizing AI images or tasking a working group with developing an AI solution that streamlines the permitting process. Just like boot camp is military training in a controlled environment, prepare your team internally before public-facing AI rollout.
Build for what comes next: Implementation isn’t the finish line. Continue to measure adoption, employee sentiment and friction, adjusting training and governance as you learn. The goal isn't maximum AI adoption. It's knowing where AI creates value, where humans need to remain firmly in the loop, and where the technology doesn't belong at all. Consider piloting GenAI for hiring equity in one specific department. Use GenAI to audit job postings and then track if that broadens your applicant pool. If the pilot is successful, expand the approach to other departments. On the flip side, if you are paying for LLM licenses for all city employees but not everyone is using them, an audit or survey could help you make budget-friendly adjustments. AI rollout isn’t another IT upgrade; it’s a workplace transformation. Equip your team to thoughtfully navigate what comes next and be open to smart pivots.
When you ask veterans what they miss most about the service, many will say the camaraderie. Serving in the military creates a bond that is hard to replicate. More than 20 years later, I am still best friends with one of my Navy roommates. Human connection is everything, and that is what we must keep in mind as we roll out AI in our workplaces.
How can this technology help government employees connect with one another and constituents more? We measure AI success in efficiency: hours saved, processes automated, output increased. But what if efficiency isn't the only KPI that matters? What if we also measure whether AI gives government employees more time to solve problems, connect with communities and do the work only humans can do? AI innovation is happening in real time. Getting out from behind our screens can inform the next application for advanced technology in your community.
In government, the people we serve are at the center of everything we do. That should be true of our AI strategy, too.
Tia Christopher is the founder and CEO of The Orange Peel Collaborative, a people-centered AI strategy and workplace transformation firm helping organizations adopt emerging technologies with confidence, clarity and trust. As a U.S. Navy veteran, her career has spanned military service, nonprofit leadership and technology, united by a common purpose: helping people navigate change.
