The projects ranged from a training tool for dining hall workers to help bridge the cultural and language divide to another that would help residents more smoothly navigate the state’s labyrinthine permitting system.
All depended on artificial intelligence. All were the product of the hard work and vision of students at UMass Amherst.
And the audience? Just Gov. Maura Healey and her top lieutenants, who were on hand Friday at the State House to hear the students pitch their efforts to make state government function more smoothly.
“We have the greatest students in the country,” Healey told MassLive, which was granted exclusive access to the event.
“I mean, the talent that I see is just unbelievable. And I think it also affirms our commitment here … to investments in education, investments in applied AI and innovation and technology,” the Democratic governor said.
UMass Amherst Chancellor Javier Reyes, who also attended the event, along with faculty and staff, said it was a demonstration of the university’s commitment to creating a “pipeline” for emerging talent to work and live in Massachusetts.
“It’s important for all of them to see that there is a career pathway and a future in Massachusetts,” he said.
The state created the AI for the Commonwealth initiative in 2024 with Northeastern University.
It provided the resources and the technology for the students to develop their ideas and to work with state agency employees directly to implement them.
“The way they use technology … you can see they’re having real impact to our constituents in Massachusetts,“ state Technology Services and Security Secretary Jason Snyder, told MassLive. ”You can see, like, they’re helping people, they’re helping the agencies, they’re helping research institutions with real and demonstrable improvements.”
Some of the AI projects the students presented on Friday included:
An AI-powered permitting navigator for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), designed to help residents more easily understand and complete complex environmental permit applications.
A call center assistant tool for the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) that helps staff quickly direct callers to the right unemployment resources. It’s intended to reduce wait times and improves service for residents.
A chatbot for the state’s Executive Office of Technology Services and Security aimed at helping expedite responses to HR inquiries within the agency and pointing TSS staff members to relevant information on salary grades, professional development opportunities, and other HR needs.
A report generator tool for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) problem resolution system. The tool would allow for the faster processing of complaints and result in a faster turnaround on reports.
University of Massachusetts-Amherst Culinary Career Ladder (CCL) tool to provide training for culinary workers across Massachusetts. The tool makes training available in multiple languages, helping workers learn and advance their skills while strengthening retention and creating new opportunities for career growth.
The program is “fostering an environment of innovation that is helping state government work better, giving our students valuable hands-on experience, and ultimately making sure Massachusetts has the best prepared AI workforce in the country,” UMass President Marty Meehan said.