#60: Public service AI moves into the operating layer

Impact Signals #60: Public service AI moves into the operating layer Today’s signal is practical: AI is moving into public-service workflows where the hard questions are not model capability alone, but trust, source support, escalation, and whether the system works under real constraints. What changed **ClearGov launched an AI-powered financial engagement platform for local governments.** Smart Cities Dive reports that the tool turns city budget data into plain-language summaries and interactive visuals, with feedback channels for residents. Rochester Hills, Michigan received hundreds of resident comments in an early pilot, and Cleveland, Placer County, and Southwest Public Libraries also participated. **Nigeria launched GovGuide for public service access.** TechCabal reports that Nigeria’s communications ministry, NCAIR, Publica AI, and Meta built a Llama-based chatbot that provides government-service information through multilingual voice and text on the web. **IRC’s Signpost work shows humanitarian AI as infrastructure.** A Tech Talks Daily interview with André Heller Pérache describes Signpost operating across roughly 30 countries and 25 languages, reaching more than 20 million users and supporting more than 500,000 digital social-work consultations. **CrisisLens explores low-bandwidth disaster communication.** The DEV Community project describes compressing disaster-scene information into roughly 200-byte emergency payloads for LoRa and Meshtastic-style networks, where…