California Government Innovation Showcase: Smart, Inclusive, Citizen-Centric

During National Data Privacy Week, Laserfiche attended Public Sector Network’s latest Government Innovation Showcase in Sacramento, California to discuss California’s Digital Future. Californians dedicated to data, AI and IT modernization discussed best practices in implementing technology, ensuring data security and leading IT modernization projects to drive efficient, future-ready infrastructure.  

Laserfiche was part of the Technology, Data and AI Integration track discussing AI’s impact on digital transformation and how to leverage AI to transform government operations and public safety. Laserfiche also hosted a roundtable on modernizing government with AI without losing governance. Through the event’s keynotes and panels, attendees gained practical strategies for modernizing infrastructure, improving data-driven decision-making and driving innovation in public agencies, with one clear theme standing out: Innovation in government only succeeds when it is grounded in trust. Trust in data, trust in decision-making, and trust that new technologies are being applied with clear accountability. 

California continues to lead in using AI to advance digital government. The state is home to 32 of Forbes’s top 50 AI companies worldwide. Additionally, “California leads U.S. demand for AI talent,” according to the press office of Governor Gavin Newsom. “In 2024, 15.7% of all U.S. AI job postings were in California — #1 by state, well ahead of Texas (8.8%) and New York (5.8%), per the 2025 Stanford AI Index.” 

With billions allocated toward modernizing critical infrastructure and enhancing data-driven programs, the state is committed to delivering faster services to its more than 39+ million residents. The showcase demonstrated the ethos Governor Newsom invoked when he said: 

From reimagining service delivery in health and human services to advancing climate resilience and equitable access, California is setting the pace for what modern governance looks like. AI-powered tools like Laserfiche are helping the state improve citizen outcomes, foster interagency collaboration and meet California’s urgent challenges today and in the future. 

AI is the future and California companies are leading. 

In Sacramento, several conversations reflected a shared concern for agencies today: the pressure to adopt AI quickly, balanced against the responsibility to ensure transparency, security and public confidence. The answer was not to avoid AI altogether, but to strengthen AI governance. The keynote reiterated this strategic insight. 

Thea Man, chief information security officer, Office of Data and Innovation, presented the keynote of the day centered on California’s innovative future built on trust. 

The message? 

California is one of the world’s most targeted cyber battlegrounds. AI now operates on both sides of the security equation — accelerating discovery and defense, while enabling new forms of automated cyber-attacks. The result is a digital future where speed, adaptability and foresight define success. 

In the era of AI vs. AI, California’s next leadership challenge is clear: to ensure AI not only powers progress, but protects the state from adversaries. 

The session, and much of the discussion of the day, was on how California can use AI to outpace AI-driven threats to innovate and protect us in the digital future. Key highlights included how AI can power the next generation of cyber defense across critical sectors and why ethics, transparency and public trust will define the future of AI-enabled governance. 

During a roundtable I facilitated with department leaders, the conversation moved beyond theory to lived experience with a discussion on the realities of responsible AI in practice. Beyond tools and pilots, AI now impacts day-to-day operations.  

AI is already present in government, whether through sanctioned initiatives or informal use by individuals trying to work more efficiently. Participants agreed avoiding AI altogether does not prevent risk — it often increases it by pushing experimentation outside established controls. Participants agreed that a proactive governance approach is essential to maintaining public trust. 

Several shared how uncertainty at the executive level unintentionally slowed formal AI efforts, creating space for unsanctioned projects to emerge. In contrast, agencies making progress described taking a measured path — defining clear guardrails around what data could be used, how it would be applied, who could access it, and how outcomes would be evaluated. Governance, in these cases, was not a constraint but a confidence-builder. 

Another key insight was that AI adoption does not need to look the same across agencies and departments. Participants emphasized the importance of aligning AI capabilities to mission needs and organizational maturity, rather than pursuing sophistication for its own sake. Governance frameworks helped agencies right-size their approach while preserving consistency and accountability. 

Two success factors surfaced repeatedly:  

The roundtable reinforced that AI in government is not solely a technical challenge. It is a governance and leadership discipline — one that depends equally on trusted data, clear oversight and meaningful human involvement. 

The event united government leaders, technology experts and industry partners across the Golden State to explore how data, AI innovation and secure digital tools can strengthen service delivery while building public trust. Our roundtable had leaders express the importance of involving the people who use data and interpret information daily. This ensures AI systems reflect real operational language and workflows rather than policy assumptions alone.  

The takeaway for government leaders was clear: Successful AI adoption is defined by discipline — building governance, trust and human context into systems before scaling them. 

For more about Laserfiche’s AI capabilities for California’s future, watch AI’s Impact on Information Management on-demand now.