Denver embraces AI as mayor tries to shrink government

How can artificial intelligence make government work better?

That’s the question tech and government leaders from around the country discussed at the DenAI Summit at the Denver Art Museum this week.

The event was Mayor Mike Johnston’s show, an attempt to put Denver in the national conversation about AI in government — and lure tech companies to town.

Johnston launched the event last year with a discussion with his biggest campaign funder, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, who has made a mission of using AI “for good.”

This year, Johnston hosted panels like “The Moment to Lead: AI, Cities, and the Opportunity to Lead,” “Reimagining Civic Trust and Empathy with AI,“ and “The Architecture of Reform: What It Takes to Modernize Government.”

Johnston used the event to promote the technology as