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Some state workers are already wary of the ChatGPT assistant — and of the state’s embrace of the technology at large.
Some state workers are already wary of the ChatGPT assistant — and of the state’s embrace of the technology at large. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
February 17, 2026 | 4:25 PM
2 minutes to read
Massachusetts is introducing an artificial intelligence assistant for its state workforce, becoming the first in the nation to do so, Gov. Maura Healey announced last week.
The AI assistant — operated by OpenAI’s ChatGPT — will be implemented in phases across the entirety of the executive branch’s nearly 40,000 state employees, beginning with staff in the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security. Other executive branch agencies will be onboarded over the coming months, and will get access to optional training programs.
“This is about making government faster, more efficient, and more effective for the people we serve,” Healey said in a news release. “AI has the potential to transform how government works, which is why we’re excited to partner with OpenAI on this AI Assistant, which will ensure a safe and secure environment for employees and improve their ability to deliver better service to the people of Massachusetts.”
The Healey administration said the AI tool will be “walled-off” in a secure environment that protects state data and prohibits employee input from being used to train public AI models.
But some state workers are already wary of the new AI assistant — and of the state’s embrace of the technology at large.
The National Association of Government Employees told WBUR it was unhappy with the announcement and said Healey’s administration is “rushing” the introduction of AI.
A union official told WBUR that some of the 15,000 state workers NAGE represents have expressed fears that AI could take away significant job duties.
On a Reddit, many people expressed deep skepticism about the technology and raised concerns about security and privacy.
“OpenAI cannot be trusted, and this is very short sighted,” one user wrote.
Others expressed outright disappointment with Healey’s decision: “Wow, not what I was expecting from Massachusetts. This is disappointing.”
While states like California and Pennsylvania have launched pilot programs giving some state workers access to AI assistants, they have not had the same “enterprise-wide” reach as the Massachusetts program, officials said.
The state’s ChatGPT webpage says the technology can be used to help employees with tasks such as drafting, outlining, summarizing, and quick research.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said he hopes the tool will “help public servants spend less of their time on paperwork and more of their time doing what led them to public service in the first place: serving the people of the Commonwealth.”
We want to know: Do you agree with the Healey administration’s decision to implement an AI tool in the government’s executive branch?
Are you supportive or skeptical of the tool and its proposed usage? Do you use an AI tool sanctioned by your company?
Tell us by filling out the form or e-mailing us at [email protected], and your response may appear in a future Boston.com article.
Do you agree with the Massachusetts executive branch using AI?
Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.
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