An effective AI strategy pairs a central task force for enablement—handling approvals, compliance, and awareness—with empowerment of frontline staff. The best, most elegant applications of AI will be identified by those doing the day-to-day work.

Unlike previous tech waves that trickled down from large institutions, AI adoption is inverted. Individuals are the fastest adopters, followed by small businesses, with large corporations and governments lagging. This reverses the traditional power dynamic of technology access and creates new market opportunities.

AI provides a structural advantage to those in power by automating government systems. This allows leaders to bypass the traditional unwieldiness of human bureaucracy, making it trivial for an executive to change AI parameters and instantly exert their will across all levels of government, thereby concentrating power.

AI is not solely a tool for the powerful; it can also level the playing field. Grassroots political campaigns and labor organizers can use AI to access capabilities—like personalized mass communication and safety reporting apps—that were previously only affordable for well-funded, established entities.

To navigate the high stakes of public sector AI, classify initiatives into low, medium, and high risk. Begin with 'low-hanging fruit' like automating internal backend processes that don't directly face the public. This builds momentum and internal trust before tackling high-risk, citizen-facing applications.

The economic and societal impact of AI is forcing politicians across the aisle to collaborate. From co-sponsoring legislation on AI-driven job loss to debating state vs. federal regulation, AI is creating common ground for lawmakers who would otherwise rarely work together.

Despite broad, bipartisan public opposition to AI due to fears of job loss and misinformation, corporations and investors are rushing to adopt it. This push is not fueled by consumer demand but by a 'FOMO-driven gold rush' for profits, creating a dangerous disconnect between the technology's backers and the society it impacts.

In sectors like finance or healthcare, bypass initial regulatory hurdles by implementing AI on non-sensitive, public information, such as analyzing a company podcast. This builds momentum and demonstrates value while more complex, high-risk applications are vetted by legal and IT teams.

When developing AI for sensitive industries like government, anticipate that some customers will be skeptical. Design AI features with clear, non-AI alternatives. This allows you to sell to both "AI excited" and "AI skeptical" jurisdictions, ensuring wider market penetration.