University of Massachusetts Amherst: UMass Amherst computer science students built AI-powered tools for Massachusetts state agencies that help members of the public access government services more easily. Projects completed in 2024–2025 include an AI assistant to help people apply for environmental permits, a caller-routing tool for unemployment assistance, and an HR chatbot for a state technology office. | AI Trace
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UMass Amherst computer science students built AI-powered tools for Massachusetts state agencies that help members of the public access government services more easily. Projects completed in 2024–2025 include an AI assistant to help people apply for environmental permits, a caller-routing tool for unemployment assistance, and an HR chatbot for a state technology office.
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Through the AI for the Commonwealth (AI4CW) program, student teams partnered with state agencies for a 16-week semester, designing and implementing AI tools that were presented to Governor Maura Healey in 2025. Tools included: a digital guide for the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to help applicants navigate the permit process; an automated caller-routing assistant for the Department of Unemployment Assistance; an HR chatbot for the Technology Services and Security office; and a researcher support chatbot for the Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center. The program is run by UMass's Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in partnership with the Public Interest Technology Initiative.
