Inside Colorado's "bullish with guardrails" AI approach
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Colorado's approach to integrating artificial intelligence into government functions is "bullish with guardrails."
Why it matters: Colorado offers a model for balancing AI innovation with safety, barring the technology from "anything that looks or smells or could possibly be thought of as a consequential decision," David Edinger, the state's chief information officer, told Axios in an interview.
Driving the news: The approach is a directive from Gov. Jared Polis, a former technology entrepreneur who encouraged the state's technology office to embrace AI in government.
The state's Office of Information and Technology created a framework for AI use with the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, considering the needs of different state agencies.
- The technology is making office work and mundane tasks easier and state employees with disabilities said AI made them more productive.
By the numbers: 50 approved use cases for AI have gone into effect, Edinger said, with just over 200 requested across the government.
- The state also ran a Google Gemini pilot last year with 150 people, who imagined about 2,000 uses for the technology.
- About 12–15% of 31,000 employees using Google products now use Gemini, with more users added each month.
Between the lines: Other uses across state government include policy reference chatbots, AI tools for job seeking in the government, a virtual assistant for unemployment issues and 911 training.
The intrigue: Colorado officials rejected some agreements with AI firms because their data-sharing policies may have required sharing personally identifiable information.
What we're watching: Like private companies, the state must comply with new restrictions in Senate Bill 205. It will require developers of high-risk AI systems to use "reasonable care" to protect consumers.
- The law's implementation was delayed from February to June 2026 after failed negotiations earlier this year to update the bill.