Imagine a world where your local government isn’t drowning in paperwork, but instead, surfing the AI wave like a tech-savvy superhero. Enter Matt Mahan, San Jose’s mayor, who’s basically turning city hall into a futuristic playground powered by ChatGPT.

Mahan isn’t just dabbling in AI – he’s going all-in, pushing nearly 1,000 city workers to embrace these digital assistants. From drafting budget proposals to creating snappy speech talking points, this tech-forward mayor is proving that government work doesn’t have to be a bureaucratic snooze fest.

From Grants to Giggles

Take Andrea Arjona Amador from the transportation department, who’s already using AI to secure massive grants and edit her professional writing. She’s basically turned ChatGPT into her personal productivity wizard, transforming evenings and weekends of grunt work into streamlined efficiency.

The AI Revolution Hits City Hall

San Jose is dropping serious cash – over $35,000 – on ChatGPT licenses, betting that AI can help solve everything from pothole complaints to criminal investigations. While some might be skeptical, Mahan’s approach is refreshingly transparent: try things, flag problems, and keep improving.

Not a Robot Takeover (Yet)

Before you start imagining a dystopian government run by machines, Mahan is quick to emphasize human oversight. “You still need a human being in the loop,” he says, making it clear that AI is a tool, not a replacement for human judgment.

As Bay Area cities like San Francisco and San Jose embrace AI, we’re witnessing a potential transformation of public services. Who knew bureaucracy could actually become… interesting?