Pilot Project Leads to Active Use
*** Click here for the audio version.***
Last year, the Wise County Commissioners Court launched a nine-month pilot program to help officials determine how Artificial Intelligence (AI) could support county government.
During the first phase of the project, most work was on the back end with a small project team experimenting with use cases and then rolling them out to employees, explained Wise County Emergency Management Coordinator Cody Powell. Since then, the project has matured into an internal AI platform that is now actively used by public safety and key support departments, with plans to expand to additional county offices.
County Progress asked Powell, manager of the pilot program, to share what Wise County has learned and how they have specifically incorporated AI into daily operations.
Who Is Using the Platform Today
Wise County now has a little over 200 users registered on the AI platform, GovAI. Of those, more than 50 are “active users,” defined as employees who have submitted 10 or more prompts in the last 30 days. The initial rollout has focused on departments where communication and information flow directly impact public safety and operations:
-
- Sheriff’s Office
- EMS
- Emergency Management
- Information Technology
- Facilities
- Several other early‑adopter offices
Across these early adopters, the platform has supported more than 2,500 prompts.
How Staff Are Using AI
Day‑to‑day uses fall into a few main categories:
- Generative drafting: memos, internal updates, talking points, training outlines, and public‑facing messages.
- Knowledge and explanation: turning complex guidance, regulations, and technical topics into plain‑language summaries that staff can then verify and apply.
- Editing and formatting: taking rough notes or bullet points and turning them into clear, properly formatted documents that match department standards.
“A recurring theme is time savings on written work,” Powell observed. A memo or briefing that might have taken 15–20 minutes to draft can now be assembled in under five minutes, with the remaining time spent reviewing and tailoring the content.
“I use AI for grammar review and research,” shared Captain Todd Taylor, Wise County Sheriff’s Office.
Taylor, an early adopter of Grammarly, now uses AI to identify malapropisms, typographical errors, and other writing issues and to assist with research involving statutes and case law.
“I always verify its conclusions by consulting the original source material,” Taylor emphasized. “For example, when I tested AI with a search about the legal age for selling cigarettes and topics where I knew statutes had recently changed, it sometimes referenced outdated law. That experience reinforced the importance of independently confirming any AI-generated findings or conclusions.”
The biggest challenge is the need to verify all information, Taylor reiterated.
“I trust AI to help speed up the process, but not to produce the final work product without review,” he stated.
Assistant Model: Purpose‑Built Tools for Specific Jobs
Rather than offering AI as a single, general‑purpose chat box, Wise County is building specialized “assistants” (a software-powered virtual assistant, or a digital tool) inside the platform.
- Each assistant is trained on department‑specific formats, examples, and terminology.
- Assistants are designed to perform specific tasks based on user inputs, such as drafting a certain type of memo, briefing, or notice, so staff know exactly what the tool is for.
- Currently, most formatting is department specific; as the platform is rolled out to additional offices, the team plans to create countywide assistants for common document types and workflows.
The underlying philosophy is that AI should be a set of tools for people to use, not a way to replace them, Powell specified. Staff still provide the judgment, context, and final decisions.
Concrete Example: Weather Reporting Assistant
For years, the county has sent out weather updates in a standardized format so employees and leaders always know where to look for key information.
The team trained an assistant on that format and process. Now, staff can:
-
- download the latest National Weather Service forecast PDF;
- upload it to the assistant; and
- receive a draft briefing in the Wise County format, with hazards, timing, and potential impacts already organized.
Staff then review and verify the draft before sending. The assistant handles the repetitive formatting work, while people remain responsible for content and decisions, Powell explained.
Cost and Scalability
Wise County opted for a flat‑rate licensing model with unlimited users, rather than per‑seat or per‑use pricing. This has allowed departments to experiment freely with new assistants and use cases without worrying about hitting usage caps. The county expects that over time, AI may enable retirement of some overlapping software tools, helping offset program costs.
Looking Ahead
The next phase is to extend the platform to additional county offices beyond public safety and early adopters. As that happens, Wise County will develop countywide assistants for common documents and processes and continue improving document management and data structure so AI tools can work reliably with approved county information.
Plans are to maintain the focus on AI as a force multiplier, building practical tools that help county employees communicate more clearly, work more efficiently, and better serve residents.
“In short, the program has evolved from a limited pilot into a practical, assistant‑driven platform,” Powell summarized. “AI is being used as a set of tools for people to do their jobs better, not as a replacement for the people doing the work.”