AI & Cities: What Boston's BidBot Can Teach Us About AI in Government

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how governments operate, creating new opportunities to improve public services while raising important questions about workforce engagement, organizational change, and implementation.  

This event will mark the launch of the AI & Cities Lab, a new collaboration between the Bloomberg Center for Cities, the Government Performance Lab at Harvard Kennedy School, and the Harvard Business School Digital Data Design Institute. The Lab reflects a core mission of the Bloomberg Center for Cities: bringing researchers and practitioners together to generate knowledge that helps solve urban problems. 

The conversation will feature Mitch Weiss, Jeff Liebman, and leaders from the City of Boston, who will share lessons from the development and deployment of Bidbot, an AI tool designed to improve municipal procurement. Together, they will explore not only how the tool was built, but also what its implementation reveals about organizational change, employee engagement, and the opportunities and challenges of integrating AI into city government.  

Drawing on both research and practice, the discussion will highlight how partnerships between city leaders and researchers can generate actionable insights that improve public-sector performance. 

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how local governments can thoughtfully adopt emerging technologies while strengthening their capacity to serve residents. The event will include presentations, a moderated discussion, audience Q&A, and opportunities to engage with faculty and practitioners working at the intersection of AI and city leadership. 

Hosted by the Bloomberg Center for Cities, the Government Performance Lab at Harvard Kennedy School, and the Harvard Business School Digital Data Design Institute. 

Lunch will be provided. This is a hybrid event. In-person attendance is limited to Harvard ID holders.