California's Poppy AI: State Workers Get New Tools

California has launched Poppy, a new state-run AI platform for government workers. This platform offers a collection of 10 different AI models. The California Department of Technology, or CDT, developed Poppy in under a year. Shera Mui, deputy director of CDT’s Platform Services, says the goal was to create a secure platform adaptable to new technologies. Early access was given to 70 departments, with about 100 users in each. Poppy allows users to choose the best AI model for their task, from analyzing legal documents to creating website code. This consolidates multiple models into one secure location. Dr. Lucy Andrews from the California Department of Water Resources notes that Poppy significantly cuts down time on labor-intensive tasks, such as tracking scientific contributions. A process that once took weeks now takes about an hour and a half. This development means state workers now have advanced AI tools to improve efficiency and security in their daily operations.