From Pilot to Policy: Scaling AI in Government

Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to research labs or small-scale experiments. Across federal, state, and local agencies, AI pilots are quickly evolving into operational programs that touch every aspect of public service delivery from modernizing infrastructure to improving citizen engagement. But scaling AI in government is not just about technology. It’s about building policy frameworks, cross-agency collaboration, and long-term governance strategies that ensure responsible adoption.

At the GovAI Summit, leaders from across the public sector, technology ecosystem, and policy community gather to explore how agencies can transition from pilot projects to enterprise-scale deployment. The 2025 agenda features sessions on best practices, lessons from early adopters, and strategies for shaping sustainable AI policy that supports national priorities.

From Proof of Concept to Public Service

Scaling AI requires more than a successful test case. Agencies must bridge the gap between experimentation and implementation. This means investing in AI infrastructure, addressing procurement reform, and ensuring workforce training across technical and non-technical roles. Without these foundations, pilot projects risk remaining siloed instead of delivering true government-wide impact.

Equally important is ensuring alignment with the American AI Action Plan, which emphasizes safety, equity, accountability, and transparency in every phase of AI adoption. Many of these themes were addressed in our recent blog post on Pillar One of the Action Plan, focused on building trustworthy AI systems, and in Pillar Two,  which highlights advancing infrastructure and data readiness. Together, these priorities provide a roadmap for scaling AI responsibly.

Building Governance and Trust

Strong AI governance ensures that deployments are transparent, auditable, and aligned with public interest. At GovAI Summit, agencies will learn how to establish oversight mechanisms, embed responsible AI principles, and develop evaluation metrics that stand the test of time. This is essential not only for compliance, but for maintaining the trust of citizens who rely on AI-powered government services.

Our earlier blog on Smart Cities showed how data-driven innovation can improve urban life. But scaling these solutions from pilot to policy requires national consistency. That’s why the Summit convenes leaders across jurisdictions to align on standards and share proven models.

Partnerships that Scale

No single agency can achieve AI transformation alone. Partnerships between government, academia, and industry are critical for advancing AI strategy and ensuring that technology deployments meet mission-critical goals. Industry innovators provide tools, platforms, and expertise that help agencies modernize, while agencies provide the policy direction that ensures these innovations are applied responsibly.

To see how this collaboration plays out, explore our post on Building and Scaling AI Systems. It demonstrates how federal programs are moving beyond experimentation toward real-world impact—an essential step in moving from pilot to policy.

Join the Conversation

The path from pilot to policy is about more than scaling technology. It’s about scaling trust, transparency, and capability across every level of government. By participating in GovAI Summit, you’ll join the national conversation on how to responsibly scale AI deployment and accelerate digital transformation in the public sector.

Explore the GovAI Summit agenda to see what’s ahead, and register today to secure your place among decision-makers, innovators, and strategists shaping the future of AI in government.

The future of public sector AI depends on the choices we make today. From pilot to policy, GovAI Summit is where those choices are defined, debated, and put into action.