Empowering State Employees with Secure, AI-Driven Tools

The Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) Enterprise is advancing a critical AI pilot initiative to equip state agencies with secure, practical tools for exploring generative AI applications. With support from the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) and Microsoft investment funds, MNIT is implementing the nebulaONE chatbot development tool to enable the safe deployment of AI-powered services like retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) and custom chatbots. This project aligns with Minnesota’s Technology Advisory Council’s recommendation to give state workers natural language interfaces to interact with public data—enhancing productivity, improving service delivery, and advancing workforce empowerment.

The project provides a secure foundation for piloting generative AI tools that interact with Low and Moderate classification data, supporting agency-specific use cases. By implementing a tool designed to simplify chatbot deployment, MNIT can help teams quickly prototype services that improve internal operations, constituent support, or knowledge access—all while maintaining appropriate security and governance standards. This early investment establishes a replicable model for responsible, scalable AI adoption across the executive branch.

The primary focus of this initial effort is to install, configure, and train staff on the nebulaONE platform for pilot use. While standing up full-scale AI services will require future investment and staffing, this pilot phase will demonstrate technical readiness and business value. Pilots will also inform operational models and technical practices for scaling generative AI in government in a way that is transparent, ethical, and aligned with Minnesota’s public service mission.

Value: This project enables Minnesota’s executive branch to explore generative AI in a secure, structured way—unlocking productivity, improving service delivery, and laying the groundwork for responsible, scalable AI use across state agencies.