Maryland has successfully acquired in excess of $2.6 million in philanthropic grant funding, aimed at the development of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to enhance access to vital public benefits, encompassing food assistance, Medicaid, and unemployment services, as stated by Governor Wes Moore.
The state garnered two out of seven national accolades from the Public Benefit Innovation Fund, managed by the Center for Civic Futures, a nonprofit organization that facilitates governmental exploration of innovative technologies to enhance public services. This fund received over 400 proposals from 45 states, as noted by the center.
Disbursed over a span of two years, the grants will finance initiatives led by the Maryland Department of Human Services and the Maryland Department of Labor, working in concert with other state agencies and research collaborators, according to a news release issued by Moore’s office.
Multi-Million Dollar Grants
One grant, amounting to $1.2 million, is slated for a collaborative multistate venture led by the Maryland Department of Human Services, in conjunction with the Maryland Department of Health, the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, and Maryland Benefits.
This initiative aims to engineer AI solutions that will streamline work requirement verifications, mitigate administrative obstacles, and enhance program access for services such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, as highlighted by the center earlier this month.
Maryland will position itself as the cornerstone of this initiative through the American Public Human Services Association, a prominent network of leaders from local human service agencies.
The AI tools will be crafted as open-source modules, empowering other states to tailor the software for their respective public benefits frameworks.
The program will be developed in tandem with Nava PBC, a firm dedicated to aiding governments in the optimization of digital services.
According to the Moore administration, this project emerges in light of recent federal work requirements stipulated by President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” enacted earlier this year.
State officials project that these stipulations may impact approximately 80,000 Maryland residents reliant on SNAP benefits and around 300,000 Medicaid participants.
Patrick Mulford, Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary at the Maryland Department of Information Technology, disclosed to The Baltimore Sun that “all final decisions regarding benefits will be made exclusively by agency personnel, never by AI mechanisms.”
He further elaborated that for programs such as SNAP, AI will facilitate customers in providing superior documentation in advance, expediting processing times, and aiding staff in making more precise benefit determinations.
A second grant of $1.45 million is designated for the Maryland Department of Labor. This agency plans to partner with the Government Performance Lab and the Computational Policy Lab, applied research institutes at Harvard University, to pilot AI tools geared toward enhancing service delivery, as per the administration’s statements.
The Center for Civic Futures indicated that this undertaking will encompass employee training simulators and AI solutions designed to guide caseworkers through intricate regulations and procedural documentation.
Labor Secretary Portia Wu articulated that this initiative is aimed at alleviating administrative burdens while enhancing customer service.
Mulford affirmed that the state would monitor the timeline for customers to submit work verification documents, in order to assess the pilot programs, collect feedback from community entities aiding applicants, and evaluate the efficacy and accuracy of administrative workflows.
Although the specific timeline remains ambiguous, Mulford indicated that the state will employ agile development methodologies throughout the grant periods to facilitate rapid implementation, assessment, and iterative refinement.
Ensuring Privacy
This influx of grants coincides with Moore’s ongoing endeavors to position Maryland as a frontrunner in emerging technologies, notably in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
In previous conversations and public engagements, Moore has suggested that AI could enhance governmental efficacy in tackling issues like hunger and child poverty, while underscoring the necessity for protective measures.
State officials have emphasized that any AI frameworks developed through these grants will adhere to Maryland’s Responsible AI Policy, incorporating assessments related to data security, privacy, and ethical considerations.
“The AI instruments are being crafted on the state’s secure, private technological infrastructure, as opposed to being developed via commercial entities. This guarantees that no private customer data will be exploited, viewed, or utilized for commercial AI training purposes,” Mulford stated.
“The focus of the system is to prioritize data security and privacy, ensuring that no personal information will be employed for AI training without explicit consent.”
Baltimore City Delegate Caylin Young, who had previously advocated for legislation to better comprehend and integrate technology within Maryland’s educational system—a bill that ultimately did not pass—commended the governor and his administration for “establishing the state for enduring success by capitalizing on new technologies.”
“I’m delighted to witness Maryland positioned to spearhead genuine application of AI in practical scenarios that will enhance outcomes for our constituents,” Young conveyed to The Sun via email.
“The legislature must play a role in ensuring appropriate legal frameworks, oversight, and safeguards are in place, similar to what we do across various domains. Ultimately, it’s a beneficial challenge to confront.”
Nonetheless, skepticism persists among some lawmakers, particularly concerning workforce implications. State Senator Katie Fry Hester, a Democrat from Howard and Montgomery County, has expressed reservations during the 2025 legislative session regarding the potential for discrimination should employers utilize AI for applicant screening.
Her proposal to restrict such screenings, barring stringent parameters, was not passed, and it remains uncertain whether she will reintroduce the legislation when the assembly convenes in two weeks.
Source link: Governing.com.
