San José AI training programme leads to City efficiencies

The City of San José, California, has announced the graduation of a new cohort from its AI Upskilling Programme – and unveiled plans to expand the training to more than 1,000 employees in 2026. This equates to some 15 per cent of the City’s workforce.

This 10-week course is aimed at helping city employees use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly and effectively to improve public service delivery and makes San José one of the first major cities to roll out AI training at this scale.

Streamlining city services

According to the City, the AI Upskilling Programme sets a new standard for AI adoption in the public sector, improving operations, saving time, and reducing costs. From securing major grants to streamlining city services, graduates of the programme are already delivering tangible results.

Launched in September 2024 in partnership with San José State University, the City claims the programme’s first two pilot cohorts have already saved 10,000-20,000 staff hours across City departments, with some areas achieving productivity gains of up to 20 per cent. The city reckons there has also been $50,000 in savings by avoiding consulting costs for AI development and maintenance.

“By investing in City staff and giving them the tools to use AI responsibly, we are strengthening public service, improving efficiency, and preparing our teams to meet the changing needs of our community”

“It just makes sense for the capital of Silicon Valley to improve quality of life for our residents by embracing innovation,” said San José mayor Matt Mahan.

“Through our AI Upskilling Programme, we’re empowering our workforce with real-world AI skills that drive efficiency, reduce costs, and improve the delivery of public services. We’re incredibly proud of this cohort and excited to see how they – and those who follow – use these new tools to better serve our community.”