If you are a regular reader of my blog, you probably have picked up that I am not a big fan of hyped technology. In fact, I found that I used the term “hype” 24 times in blogs I have written since starting in 2015. I used the term 10 times in my blog “Inflated Expectations.” So, I could not help but investigate the hype around ChatGPT. From what I had heard and read, I was a little concerned that it could replace me as a blogger. Since it is a conversational form of artificial intelligence technology, I had to start by making sure it liked my blog.

So, I started by typing “Ed Toner’s Blog,” and this is what it returned:

Ed Toner, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the state of Nebraska, maintains a blog where he shares his thoughts and insights on IT leadership and management. The blog covers a range of topics related to IT in the public sector, including cloud computing, cybersecurity, innovation, and digital transformation.
In his blog posts, Toner shares his experiences and perspectives on IT management and offers practical advice for other IT leaders. He also highlights successful IT initiatives and projects implemented by the state of Nebraska and shares lessons learned from these efforts.
Toner's blog provides a valuable resource for IT professionals, particularly those in the public sector, who are looking for insights and best practices related to IT management and innovation. By sharing his experiences and perspectives, Toner helps to advance the field of IT management and improve the delivery of services to citizens.

ChatGPT passed the test with the “valuable resource comment,” so next I decided to see if it could get me past my writer’s block. I typed “Write a Blog for Ed Toner.” With no other direction or guidance than that, here is what it gave me:

Title: The Power of Collaboration: Driving Innovation in the Public Sector

Innovation is critical to the success of any organization, but it can be particularly challenging in the public sector where resources may be limited, and bureaucracy can impede progress. However, by fostering a culture of collaboration, government agencies can overcome these challenges and drive innovation that delivers real value to citizens.

As the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the state of Nebraska, I have seen firsthand the power of collaboration in driving innovation in the public sector. By working together, agencies can share knowledge, resources, and best practices, and achieve more than they could on their own.

Here are some ways that collaboration can drive innovation in the public sector:

• Leveraging Shared Services: Shared services are an excellent way to drive efficiency and reduce costs. By collaborating with other agencies, government organizations can share IT infrastructure, software, and services, and avoid duplicating efforts. This allows agencies to focus on their core missions and provide better services to citizens.


• Building Communities of Practice: Communities of practice are groups of people who share a common interest or expertise and work together to solve problems and share knowledge. By building communities of practice around key issues, government agencies can tap into the expertise of their employees and other stakeholders and drive innovation through collaboration.


• Partnering with the Private Sector: The private sector has a wealth of knowledge and resources that can be leveraged to drive innovation in the public sector. By partnering with private sector organizations, government agencies can access new technologies, ideas, and best practices that can help them achieve their goals.


• Empowering Employees: Government employees are often passionate about their work and have a deep knowledge of the issues they are working on. By empowering employees to take ownership of their work and collaborate with others, government agencies can tap into their expertise and drive innovation from the ground up.

ChatGPT used many of the themes I wrote about in“The Year of Transformation,” such as the efficiencies of consolidation of shared services, innovation through empowering employees, and communities of practice that I have continued to maintain with several private sector forums I attend either in person or virtual.

I was impressed that it wrote a blog that was very close to my own thoughts and views. I was also excited that each month all I had to do was ask ChatGPT to write my blog. The truth is, I did further research and asked for another blog in anticipation of being replaced, and the result was disappointing. It also gets things completely wrong. It stated that, prior to my joining the State, I was the CIO of a major company I never worked for, but I have done business with. It can’t be trusted for accurate facts, and it cannot make logical deductions.

So I think my blog gig is intact. For now.

AI is clearly at the top of the peak of inflated expectations at this time in the “Gartner Hype Cycle” but not ready for mainstream use and the productivity gains promised.

The problem I am left with now is what can I use it for? I feel it is still in the very early stages and I will wait for others to provide me with a valuable use case. The message of this blog is what I have written about many times: keep a healthy skepticism of the media coverage and predictions of revolutionary technological breakthroughs. Manage the inflated expectations of the press and don’t get caught up in the hype.

As always, I appreciate your efforts to provide quality services to the State and the Citizens of Nebraska!

Ed Toner