e.Republic’s Center for Public Sector AI Announces the 2026 AI 50 Honorees

e.Republic's Center for Public Sector AI Announces the 2026 AI 50 Honorees

Second annual awards program recognizes responsible, measurable AI innovation across government, education, nonprofit, and private sector

The Center for Public Sector AI (CPSAI), a trusted brand of e.Republic, today announced the recipients of the 2026 AI 50. This national awards program recognizes the leading organizations and companies advancing the responsible application of artificial intelligence across state and local government and education for positive community and operational outcomes. Nominations were received from across the United States and evaluated for impact and innovation by a panel of expert judges.

What's New in 2026
This year, the AI 50 introduces a Projects category recognizing collaborative initiatives spanning agencies, departments, and institutions. The addition reflects the growing maturity of AI adoption and how the most transformative initiatives increasingly rely on cross-functional leadership, strong AI governance, and partnerships that extend across organizations.

Also, for the first time, education and nonprofit honorees are represented among this year's recipients, detailing how exceptional AI advancements and partnerships are occurring across K-12 and higher education, as well as the nonprofit landscape.

AI Moving to Maturity and Responsible Use
This year's honorees represent leaders who are turning AI strategy into action, integrating new capabilities into daily operations while building the governance, practices, and processes needed for responsible use.

According to research based on the nominations data, nearly half (46%) of public-sector organizations plan to expand projects to additional departments or programs, and 41% describe setting their projects as reusable frameworks that can be adopted by other departments or programs.

"The 2026 AI 50 marks an important turning point for the public sector," said Rob Lloyd, Executive Director of the Center for Public Sector AI. "Organizations have moved past AI philosophy and scanning for 'what's possible.' These honorees are focused on proving what's achievable through responsible implementation, setting standards for measurable outcomes for the communities they serve. They are demonstrating for others how to iterate, partner, and write operational AI playbooks."

AI Transforming Leadership Perspectives and Organizational Capabilities
This year's nominations highlight the measurable impact AI is having across government and education. Government organizations reported improvements in IT operations and automation, constituent engagement and service delivery, and data-driven decision-making. Educational institutions cited responsible decision-making, IT operations, and automation as their leading outcomes, while more than half identified ethical AI and governance as key areas of focus.

2026 AI 50: The Complete List

Organizational Honorees:

State Category
• California Department of Transportation
• Georgia Technology Authority
• Indiana Secretary of State
• Massachusetts Executive Office of Technology Services and Security

County Category
• Chesterfield County, Va.
• Miami-Dade County, Fla.
• Durham County, N.C.
• County of DuPage, Ill.
• County of Cumberland, N.C.

City Category
• City of Scottsdale, Ariz.
• City of Aurora, Ill.
• City of San José, Calif.
• Marion Superior Court, Ind.
• City of Sacramento, Calif.

Non-Profit Category
• GovAI Coalition

Higher Education Category
• Bryant University
• St. Louis Community College

Project Honorees:

State Category
• North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries
• New Mexico Health Care Authority
• Missouri Office of Administration: Information Technology Services Division
• Nevada Department of Taxation
• California Office of Data and Innovation and California Department of Social Services

County Category
• Calvert County, Md.
• Cook County, Ill.
• Orange County, Fla.
• Chester County, Pa.
• County of Marin, Calif.

City Category
• City of Scottsdale, Ariz.
• City of Midland, Texas
• City of Pasadena, Calif.
• City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii

Non-Profit Category
• Greater Phoenix Economic Council

Higher Education Category
• Georgia Tech
• California State University
• Tennessee State University
• City University of New York

K-12 Category
• Capital Region Education Service District 113
• Prince George's County Public Schools

Private-Sector Honorees:

• CentralSquare
• Clariti Cloud Inc.
• Euna Solutions
• INRIX
• Nexar, Inc.
• Omnilert, LLC.
• Polimorphic
• Social Glass, Inc.
• Tyler Technologies

Individual Category
• Eyal Feder, CEO & Founder, Zencity
• Chris Hein, Field CTO, Google Public Sector
• Luke Norris, VP, Platform Strategy & Digital Transformation, Granicus

Winners will be recognized during a live virtual event on August 11, 2026. Register for the complimentary webinar.

About the Center for Public Sector AIThe Center for Public Sector AI is a national benchmarking and advisory organization focused on effective AI implementation in state and local government. Learn more at https://www.govtech.com/cpsai.

The Center for Public Sector AI is a trusted brand of e.Republic.

Media Contact:
Heidi Lorenzen
e.Republic
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