Beyond Generation: The Rise of Agentic AI in State Government

This report explores the evolution of artificial intelligence in state government from generative AI to agentic AI—systems capable of autonomous decision-making and multi-step task execution. As states expand AI adoption, the paper outlines how agentic AI can improve efficiency, automate workflows, and enhance citizen services. It presents a maturity model from assistive AI to fully autonomous agents and highlights real-world state use cases. The report also addresses governance, security, and workforce challenges, emphasizing the need for strong guardrails, human oversight, and incremental adoption. Ultimately, it positions agentic AI as a transformative tool to increase productivity, reduce backlogs, and modernize government operations.