AI used across the whole city, with no cost surprises
When the City of St. George, Utah started exploring AI, the goal was everyday usefulness that was safe for local government work. IT Director James Duckett saw a chance to bring AI to city staff in a way that fit how government runs: predictable costs, simple rollout, and strong safeguards.
- Who
- James Duckett, IT Director
- Where
- City of St. George, Utah
- What stood out
- Nothing to install · Safeguards built in · Citywide access
“It’s one of the tools that I’ve felt more comfortable with deploying just because of the safeguards that are in place.”
AI needed to be useful and simple to run.
St. George wanted to give employees practical access to AI that was easy to manage, financially predictable, and safe for government work.
As an IT leader, James Duckett needed a platform that would not create friction for staff or complexity for the IT team. It had to be simple to roll out, easy to access, and trusted enough for employees to try on real work.
“It just gave us a true unlimited option for all of our employees.”
For a city IT team, that combination of simplicity and safety is rare. Most tools force trade-offs between access, cost, and control. GovAI gave St. George all three.
Budget season
proved the value.
GovAI helped teams turn technical language into clear, decision-ready communication when it mattered most.
A citywide approach that made adoption straightforward.
After surveying options, St. George chose GovAI because adoption was simple, financially and operationally. The city could offer access broadly without tracking individual seats, managing installs, or putting barriers in front of staff.
Less installation, more enablement.
Implementation focused on helping people understand what GovAI could do, with very little technology setup. Because GovAI is SaaS, there was nothing to install. The platform also synced with the city’s LDAP, so anyone with a city email could get in quickly.
The IT team focused on awareness: showing employees where GovAI could help, while reinforcing that safeguards were in place if they entered risky territory.
“Nothing to install.”
That lowered the barrier to adoption. Employees knew they had a safe place to test AI on real work, which encouraged more staff to try it sooner.
Small use cases became everyday momentum.
GovAI quickly found a place in routine work where time, clarity, and confidence matter. Staff used it to draft emails and memos, proofread, brainstorm options, and improve language when teams were stuck.
“Is there a better way of saying this?”
Duckett used GovAI to pressure-test wording and challenge assumptions in a low-risk setting. That kind of everyday use built comfort with the platform and encouraged staff to find their own uses.
Clearer communication during a critical window.
Budget season became a proving ground for GovAI. Usage increased as staff used the platform to translate technical proposals into clear, decision-ready language for finance and management.
Instead of wrestling with jargon, teams could build narratives and metaphors that made sense to non-technical audiences. That clarity made a real difference in high-stakes conversations.
GovAI helped Duckett “say his technical jargon in ways that others could more easily put their heads around.”
Safeguards helped IT move forward with confidence.
For the IT organization, safeguards were central to adoption. New tools often require IT teams to think through risks and exposure carefully before broad deployment.
With GovAI, the built-in guardrails gave Duckett the confidence to deploy the platform more broadly than he might have otherwise. Staff came to see GovAI as a safe place to do their work.
“It’s one of the tools that I’ve felt more comfortable with deploying just because of the safeguards that are in place.”
Visibility made responsible expansion easier.
A recent GovAI Dashboard update gave St. George a clearer way to search and sort activity, helping IT ask better questions and support teams where it mattered most.
For a public agency, that oversight supports responsible use while encouraging thoughtful expansion across departments.
A platform that continues to improve.
Duckett highlighted GovAI’s ongoing product development as an important part of the relationship. New features and improvements give St. George confidence that the platform will grow with the city’s needs.
“One thing I’ve really appreciated is that GovAI continues to evolve and improve, with new useful features being added or improved on a regular basis. This ensures that we have a successful partnership now and into the future.”
Practical value that compounds over time.
St. George’s results come from a combination: citywide access, clearer communication, confidence from safeguards, and reporting that supports ongoing governance. Together, they create day-to-day value that grows as more staff find their own uses for GovAI.
Start with hands-on experimentation.
Duckett’s advice is practical: encourage people to use the tool. Adoption grows when employees have space to experiment and discover how AI applies to their own jobs.
Responsible AI adoption in government comes from many small wins that add up to better-equipped leaders and staff, and better service for residents.
“The more people play with it, the more they’re going to get inspiration on how it applies to their jobs.”
GovAI
Built for local government.
GovAI is the AI work platform for local government. Staff use it every day to finish real work across departments, with guardrails built in.
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