Local and State governments are repeatedly tasked with finding ways to use data and technology to improve the health and economic state of their constituents. Advanced data resources held by state agencies can help local governments and community members navigate technology to find health, transportation, education, and philanthropic resources, among countless others. Leveraging data to influence policy decisions is one way local governments are taking advantage of new technologies as leaders try to close the inequality gap and disperse resources most efficiently among individuals. In addition, state and local governments have important roles to play in regulating the distribution and use of new technologies such as mobility innovations. While many state and local governments may lag the federal government with respect to technical expertise, they are rapidly expanding their capabilities in these areas and are often eager to collaborate with constituents who have relevant expertise.
In ESAL's latest America at 250 feature, we set out to learn more about the history of House districts and the potential uses of AI for redistricting. ESAL spoke with Kyle Kondik, a managing editor at the University of Virginia Center for Politics to learn about this timely topic.
Read more about an interactive discussion co-hosted by the Joyce Foundation, University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, and the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences Center for Scientific Evidence in Public Issues (AAS EPI Center) on March 11th outlining investments needed to ensure sustainable clean energy use in relation in the growth of data centers in the U.S.
On January 9, 2026, ESAL hosted a panel discussion exploring how programs like Draft One and Truleo work, whether they help police do their jobs or whether they might introduce new challenges into the justice system.
Join ESAL for a discussion about how models are trained, errors, word choices, hallucinations and bias and how defense lawyers might try to question AI-generated reports by inquiring into how the AI agent was created.
Join us in Atlanta for a key actors event to stress test together proposed solutions to impacts of data center expansion in the metro region.
ESAL recently interviewed Virginia Sen. Lashrecse Aird about her experience working at the state level to develop policy on artificial intelligence.
This panel discussion will delve into the details on AI policy, including both domestic and international perspectives. Will the EU once again shape tech policy or will the US finally regulate its tech industry? Hear how academics are predicting the future of AI policy in 2024 and how industry future proofs its technology to account […]
Learn more about how researchers are using data science to highlight the housing insecurity issue across the country.
ESAL spoke with Christine Task, a senior research scientist at Knexus Research Corporation and contracted technical lead of the Collaborative Research Cycle (CRC) hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Privacy Engineering Program. Learn more about how Christine is mobilizing the privacy research community to solve pressing problems facing the federal government.
