Google announced support for the Jigsaw Partner Program, an initiative managed by its internal tech incubator. The company is establishing a collaborative fund to provide local governments worldwide with access to AI-driven tools for large-scale civic engagement. These services are provided to municipalities at no operational cost.
The program utilizes a tool called Sensemaking, which helps officials gather community feedback to inform policy decisions. For instance, Bowling Green, Kentucky, used the platform to collect input from 8,000 residents for a 25-year growth plan. Similar projects are currently active in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Riverside, California; and Kitchener, Ontario.
Separately, the Urban Institute released a playbook on agentic AI, which can independently plan and execute tasks. The institute emphasizes the need for governance structures before deploying such systems in public services. These tools aim to streamline operations and reduce costs for state and local authorities.
A pilot program in Virginia demonstrated the potential of agentic AI by scanning regulatory documents to identify redundant language. According to the state’s Office of Regulatory Management, this initiative resulted in annual savings exceeding $1,4 billion and reduced permit and license processing times by nearly 80 percent.
