Videos
-
NJ AI Summit AI, Society and Policy -
Solving Public Problems with Beth Noveck
-
Ian P. Sharp Lecture featuring Beth Simone Noveck
-
Beth Noveck: Effective and Accountable AI in the Public Sector
-
Beth Simone Noveck | Unlocking collective intelligence: AI’s role in enhancing democracy
-
Solving Public Problems | Intro | Beth Simone Noveck
-
Today's Problems, Tomorrow's Toolkit: The Public Sector and the Future of Work
-
Beth Noveck: Demand a more open-source government
Learn More About Beth Simone Noveck
As AI continues to reshape how we work, live and lead, forward-thinking organizations are asking how these powerful tools can be used for lasting systemic change.
Helping leaders leverage automation that will empower bolder thinking and more effective action is Beth Simone Noveck, Ph.D., a pioneering leader in using AI to transform how institutions solve complex problems. As the first U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer under President Obama, she spearheaded the creation of transformative platforms including data.gov and challenge.gov that connect millions of people to collaborative problem-solving processes.
A professor of experiential AI, law and public policy at Northeastern University, she was the country’s first state Chief AI Strategist. Noveck has spent over two decades building institutions that harness collective intelligence at scale. She founded AI for Impact, which trains students to build high-impact AI products now used by millions. She also runs a national initiative to train educators and students in AI-enabled reading.
As founder of InnovateUS, the largest public sector AI training program in the United States, she has trained over 120,000 professionals in AI and conducts research on AI’s impact on workforce development. Her work demonstrates how AI can strengthen human agency by amplifying collective wisdom and enabling better decision-making.
“We recently finished a project building and using AI agents to help run a task force. It was extraordinary how they helped us make more informed policies and free up time to engage workers and residents in our work at scale” explains Noveck, who was named a Top Woman in Technology by The Huffington Post. “There are so many opportunities for businesses and governments today to use AI to improve how they make decisions.”
AI and Democracy: How to Use Tech for Good
Noveck focuses on strategies for using AI to tap into distributed expertise and build more responsive, effective systems. Her methods blend artificial and collective intelligence to help organizations gather knowledge from diverse stakeholders, facilitate meaningful deliberation and deliver better outcomes.
Drawing on her experience advising global leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron, she has created pioneering expert networking systems and platforms that span over 100 countries. Her innovations include the first expert networking systems in government and the nation’s first state policy on responsible AI use.
“New Jersey was the first state to put out a policy that embraced the use of responsible AI,” explains Noveck. “We did not ban the technology. Instead, we committed to looking at how we can use these tools for processing large quantities of data and text in a way that aligns with our values of transparency and accountability. We then combined that policy with access to the latest platforms and investments in our people to ensure responsible and effective use of technology.
Named to the Center for Public Sector AI’s inaugural “AI 50” list and serving on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on AI, she has been recognized as one of the “Foreign Policy 100,” one of Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business,” and one of the “World’s 100 Most Influential Academics in Government and in AI.”
Noveck’s upcoming book, “Reboot: The Race to Save Democracy with AI” (Yale University Press, 2026), provides a roadmap for organizations seeking to harness AI for collaborative problem-solving and institutional innovation.
“The use of AI should support our workforce to deliver enhanced services, enable us to include people, treat them with respect, and uplift our communities – especially the most marginalized and vulnerable,” Noveck concludes. “As we embrace responsible experimentation and develop practical applications for innovating and improving how we serve people, we must maintain control and protect privacy and security. Agentic AI in public service is more than a technical or economic shift – it’s a democratic one.”
###
Beth Simone Noveck is a professor at Northeastern University where she directs the Burnes Center for Social Change, The Governance Lab (The GovLab), and InnovateUS initiative, which trains public sector professionals in AI, digital and innovation skills. She served in the White House as head of open government for President Obama, advised Chancellor Angela Merkel on her Digital Council, and worked with 10 Downing Street on modernizing government.
Noveck is a graduate of Yale Law School and holds degrees from Harvard University and the University of Innsbruck, as well as an honorary doctorate from the University of Geneva.
Beth Simone Noveck is available to advise your organization via virtual and in-person consulting meetings, interactive workshops and customized keynotes through the exclusive representation of Stern Speakers & Advisors, a division of Stern Strategy Group®.
Contact us to learn more about these topics or other topics Beth Simone Noveck can customize to your organization’s needs.
Additional Customizable Topics: • Building Trust in an AI-Powered World • Public-Private Partnership in the Digital Age • Ethics and Governance in AI Implementation • Scaling Collective Problem-Solving with Technology
Leverage AI Agents for Faster, Fairer, Smarter Policymaking
Agentic AI is quickly proving to be a profound tech advancement that’s changing how work is getting done. Beth Simone Noveck, Ph.D., a pioneer of using collective intelligence and AI to upgrade institutions and make them work better, argues that agentic AI – systems capable of autonomous, goal-directed action – can radically transform how policies are created and implemented, making governance more inclusive, transparent and effective. In this eye-opening talk, Noveck draws from her work with the State of New Jersey and global leaders from Brazil to the United Kingdom to show how agentic AI is already transforming policymaking. Audiences will walk away with a clear breakdown of four key agentic abilities – planning, memory, autonomy and coordination – to help leaders understand which uses of AI are ready to try now and which are still in the early stages. Through real-world lessons drawn from directing the InnovateUS and TheGovLab initiatives, Noveck gives leaders a practical guide to using AI agents to work more efficiently, deliver better services, and involve communities in smarter ways.
Workforce Ready: Training Today for the AI-Powered Workplace of Tomorrow
As AI rapidly reshapes every industry, how can organizations ensure their teams have the skills to adapt, innovate and lead without being left behind? Beth Simone Noveck, Ph.D., argues that building an AI-ready workforce requires equipping people with the problem-solving and ethical decision-making skills they need to thrive in a fast-changing world. As founder of InnovateUS, the largest public sector AI training program in the U.S., Noveck has helped more than 35,000 professionals – from government agencies to frontline teams – develop the future-ready skills they need to work smarter and drive impact. In this engaging session, she outlines a blueprint for closing the skills gap through practical, scalable learning programs that focus on real-world tools, collaboration and creativity. Audiences will leave with a model for upskilling their workforce using AI to automate and augment human intelligence and leadership. Whether in the public or private sector, leaders will walk away with actionable ideas that can be immediately implemented for creating a culture of innovation and continuous learning.
Building Trustworthy AI: Managing Risk Without Slowing Innovation
As AI tools become more powerful and widely adopted, how can organizations protect against risks like data breaches, misuse and bias without stalling progress? Beth Simone Noveck, Ph.D., argues that responsible AI doesn’t mean playing it safe or saying “no” – it means building systems that are secure, transparent and trustworthy from the start, enabling innovation with guardrails. With decades of experience advising global leaders – including U.S. President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron – and leading state-wide AI strategies, Noveck shares a practical roadmap for managing AI risks in fast-moving environments. Drawing from her work with InnovateUS, The GovLab and the State of New Jersey, she helps audiences understand the key pillars of responsible AI: cybersecurity, data governance and privacy. Participants will leave with tools for building internal policies, identifying and mitigating risk, and fostering a culture of ethical experimentation. Through real-world examples from both the public and private sectors, she shows how organizations can confidently use AI to improve services and efficiency without sacrificing public trust. Leaders will gain a clear understanding of what responsible AI looks like in action and how to align innovation with safety, inclusion and accountability from day one.
Democratic AI: Beyond Automation to Collective Intelligence
In this engaging talk, Beth Simone Noveck helps leaders move beyond using AI to replace human judgment to harnessing it for collaborative problem-solving at scale. Learn how “Democratic AI” enables organizations to gather knowledge from diverse stakeholders, facilitate meaningful deliberation and deliver more effective outcomes by amplifying, rather than replacing, human expertise and decision-making.
AI Policy Leadership: How States Are Setting the National Agenda
In this insightful talk, Beth Simone Noveck reveals how forward-thinking states are leading America’s AI governance revolution. Learn from real-world examples of responsible AI implementation, policy innovation and regulatory frameworks that balance innovation with accountability. Walk away with guiding principles for how your organization can engage with and influence this rapidly evolving landscape.
The AI Productivity Paradox: What Actually Works and Who Benefits
In this data-driven presentation, Beth Simone Noveck cuts through the hype with evidence-based insights on AI’s real impact on workplace productivity. Drawing from research across dozens of countries, audiences leave with an understanding of which AI applications deliver measurable results, who benefits most from using them, and practical lessons for maximizing AI’s value while avoiding common pitfalls.
Rebooting Democracy: A Model for Improving How Government Works
How can governments and institutions use AI to go beyond automation to equitably innovate and strengthen democracy? With the help of AI, Beth Simone Noveck, Ph.D., the nation’s first state chief AI strategist (New Jersey) and designer of pioneering platforms for digital democracy, sees a practical way forward for reinvigorating democracy and improving how government works. In her upcoming book “Democracy Rebooted” (2026), she demonstrates how cutting-edge AI technologies such as AI agents and generative AI can make businesses and institutions across the world more community-centered, responsive and effective. Audiences leave with a proven, nonpartisan model for responsibly utilizing AI tools to process large quantities of data and text in a way that aligns with the values of equity, transparency and accountability.
Closing the Public-Private Divide: How Smarter Government Strengthens Business
Government processes are often seen as barriers to innovation. How can we redesign public systems to work better with the private sector? Beth Simone Noveck, Ph.D., illustrates how adopting agile, tech-enabled and people-centered approaches allows governments to streamline compliance, foster innovation and deliver mutual value for businesses and communities alike. Drawing on her experience transforming government systems at the state, federal and international levels, Noveck shows how public institutions can shift from being slow-moving regulators to smart collaborators. Through case studies from the State of New Jersey, InnovateUS and The GovLab, she reveals how digital tools, AI and user-focused design can simplify processes, reduce red tape and improve outcomes for both the public and private sectors. Audiences will gain practical strategies for building government partnerships that reduce friction, speed up results and align with business goals without compromising public purpose. Leaders leave with a renewed understanding that smarter governance is both good policy and good business.
Solving Public Problems: A Practical Guide to Fix Our Government and Change Our World
(Yale University Press, June 2021)
Smart Citizens, Smarter State: The Technologies of Expertise and the Future of Governing
(Harvard University Press, November 2015)
Wiki Government: How Technology Can Make Government Better, Democracy Stronger, and Citizens More Powerful
(Brookings Institution Press, April 2009)
Upskilling Your Workforce: AI as a Problem-Solving Amplifier
In this hands-on workshop, transform your teams into more effective problem-solvers by teaching them to use AI as a collaborative tool. Drawing from training programs that have equipped over 100,000 professionals, discover practical frameworks for helping employees leverage AI to enhance their analytical thinking, creativity and decision-making capabilities.
AI-Enhanced Engagement: From Input to Impact
In this interactive workshop, Beth Simone Noveck teaches how to design effective AI-enhanced stakeholder engagement that translates public input into meaningful outcomes. Master practical skills to leverage AI and digital platforms for participation that is more inclusive, responsive and effective at turning community voices into real policy and service improvements.
Praise for "Solving Public Problems"
“The book offers a wealth of information necessary to improve human-centered design in public policies.”
"Noveck celebrates the potential of data and technology to solve problems by engaging citizens. This is her most comprehensive book yet, bursting with sage, practical advice for public sector officials and civil society actors who want to engage citizens and give them more power."
"This important book provides an engaging explanation of why and, above all, how both institutions and individuals can make the world a better place through greater use of data, robust collaboration, rapid evidence review, and rigorous experimentation."
"Public problem solving melds traditional policy research and analysis with direct innovation and experimentation, often with a dose of technology thrown in. This book is sure to become the magnum opus in the field, written by one of its pioneers. Highly recommended!"
"In a world where a billion people are on the verge of extreme poverty and the adverse effect of climate change is disproportionately impacting the poorest countries, 'Solving Public Problems' is a vital manual for showing all of us how to build forward better and accelerate the creation of innovative, sustainable, scalable solutions to our greatest challenges. A must read!"
“This book gives you hope by showing how governments can get things done fast, effectively, and with quality. Noveck shows how to break logjams and make progress against critically important problems. Amazing.”
“Beth Noveck’s book is a universal reminder of the importance of investing in public sector capability and collective intelligence if we want to solve the most pressing issues our democracies face today.”
Praise for "Smart Citizens, Smarter State"
“New peer-to-peer technology platforms have radically democratized how information spreads, how capital flows, and even how cabs get hailed in the twenty-first century. But our government itself remains a largely closed system, with relatively few opportunities for public engagement and collaboration. In this book, Beth Simone Noveck lays out a fresh and ambitious vision for a more democratized democracy, one in which our government takes full advantage of the Networked Age and the vast resources of its citizenry. Highly recommended!”
“I strongly recommend 'Smart Citizens, Smarter State' to the new generation of scientists emerging at the interface of computing and public policy. Those with technology and ‘hard’ sciences backgrounds would hugely benefit from a comprehensive understanding of government and policy domains in order to set new research agendas with significant potential for wider impact. At the other end of the spectrum, those with politics and social science backgrounds would find it very helpful for understanding the current technologies of expertise and the new trends in public decision-making, offering great promise for transforming the ways that governments should operate under the ongoing data revolution.”
"Crowd-sourcing works wonderfully in creating open-source software and online encyclopedias. Can it work in governance? Beth Noveck, who has spent years creating means of engaging citizens on the Internet, argues it can, if done wisely. This book―informed by experience, breathless energy, optimism, encyclopedic knowledge, and an extraordinary intellect―should be required reading for all who are interested in the question.”
“Richly informative, unafraid to address problem areas (transparency and elitism), [Noveck] offers an inspiring prospect of smarter cities in a smarter future.”
“Noveck offers an optimistic but realistic approach that aims to offer a theoretical and practical road map of policy making, champions more than transparent government, and encourages readers to not perceive citizens as mere passive policy bystanders. In a society that facilitates collaboration and allows for political institutions that are open by default, this approach calls for a fundamental transformation of how government engages citizens in policy making.”
“'Smart Citizens, Smarter State' is a manifesto for a new way of governing. Digital technologies, Noveck argues, create abundant opportunities for governments to learn from their citizens and provide better services. Written with optimism and passion, this book brings the open source revolution to public administration.”
“A ringing call to arms for anyone who believes that government is busted and citizens could do more than anyone else to fix it. Following in the footsteps of John Dewey, Noveck explores the fundamental changes needed to bring to bear the vast resource of citizen expertise and ability in a time of rising demands and dwindling resources. The book summons smart citizens everywhere to action, be they makers, hackers, data analysts, or everyday experts. It also challenges members of the existing elite, daring them to imagine a more populist―and smarter―future.”
“The endless debate that assumes ‘expertise’ and ‘democracy’ to be in conflict is here unpacked―and then carefully, intelligently reassembled from the perspective of new tools such as digital data and new ideas, including crowd-sourcing distributed expertise. The result? A false choice is demolished, replaced by a commonsense strategy that welcomes expertise without diminishing democracy’s robustness.”
“The ultimate goal of 'Smart Citizens, Smarter State' is not simply a more competent regulatory state, but a transformed relationship between government and the governed. To policymakers and bureaucrats, Noveck makes the case that soliciting citizen expertise can make governance more effective; to democratic theorists, Noveck argues that providing expertise is a genuine form of civic engagement… The strongest characteristic of 'Smart Citizens, Smarter State' is its intellectually modest approach: It builds on existing programs, can be scaled up quickly or slowly, and is predicated on experimentation rather than centralized decision-making. That makes it a great reform agenda for those who have been burned by sweeping overhauls and grandiose promises before.”
“'Smarter Citizens, Smarter State' is a valuable contribution to a debate that will continue as technology plays an increasing role in almost every aspect our lives.”
