DUSTIN HAISLER / FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE
I help public-sector leaders connect AI policy to everyday practice: understand where AI is being used, establish guardrails people can work with, and build the oversight that earns public trust.
Perspective by Dustin Haisler · Updated September 7, 2026
A TRACK RECORD, NOT JUST A POINT OF VIEW
My work connects the research community, government practitioners, and the teams building the next generation of public-sector technology.
At e.Republic, I co-founded the Center for Public Sector AI with Teri Takai and co-led it during my time at e.Republic. That work connected public-sector leaders with research, briefings, demonstrations, and the practical questions behind AI adoption.
Read my account of the work ↗As Chief AI Officer and US General Manager at Darwin AI, I help government move from policy statements to the way AI is actually used. My focus includes visibility, guardrails, public-sector requirements, and the connection between governance and useful workflows.
Explore the enterprise governance work ↗I joined Beth Noveck and Mihir Kshirsagar for the InnovateUS workshop on governing and funding public AI. My public sessions also include a California discussion with Bharat Bagaria and a Transforming Local Government session on guardrails that enable innovation.
Explore the InnovateUS workshop ↗My writing examines model-agnostic governance, shadow AI, the shift to agentic systems, and the practical infrastructure agencies need. I also explain how governance reaches the market, including my sponsored article on Texas's AI governance purchasing agreement.
Read the sponsored Texas article ↗HOW I APPROACH THE WORK
Start with the people and decisions behind the technology. Connect three things that too often operate separately.
Look beyond purchased tools to employee-selected services, embedded AI, and the uses that never made it into an inventory.
Define ownership, permitted uses, data boundaries, review steps, and a practical way for employees to request new tools.
Connect workforce education, oversight, and feedback to workflows that create public value. Review the approach as the technology changes.
READ. WATCH. PUT IT TO WORK.
Eight starting points from my writing, workshops, public demonstrations, and the work at Darwin. Contributor roles and original publication dates are identified below.
Five takeaways on building public AI capacity, from infrastructure and governance to the people who put it to work.
MY WRITINGWritten by Dustin Haisler
Darwin AI
Why government needs governance, infrastructure, and accountability as AI moves from answering questions to taking action.
MY WRITINGWritten by Dustin Haisler
Darwin AI
A public workshop on standards, oversight, and sustainable investment in shared AI capacity.
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTDustin Haisler & Mihir Kshirsagar / moderated by Beth Simone Noveck
InnovateUS
What it takes to move AI from an experiment into public service. A playbook based on Dustin's conversation with Linxar's Bharat Bagaria, written by Shelley Ballard.
FEATURED IN THE DISCUSSIONShelley Ballard / Featuring Dustin Haisler
Darwin AI
A recap of my Transforming Local Government session on shadow AI, practical guardrails, and responsible innovation.
MY CONFERENCE SESSIONAlliance for Innovation recap of Dustin Haisler's session
Alliance for Innovation
A June 2025 Center for Public Sector AI demonstration with Noam Maital on governance and risk mitigation for government and education. Historical demonstration, not a statement of current product capabilities.
PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONDustin Haisler with Noam Maital
Center for Public Sector AI
My contributed article on making AI governance more accessible to Texas public agencies through cooperative purchasing.
MY WRITING / SPONSOREDDustin Haisler / Darwin AI
Government Technology Insider
Darwin AI's company announcement on multi-agency AI governance, with Dustin's perspective on government-specific oversight, records, and compliance needs.
DARWIN COMPANY WORK / QUOTEDDarwin AI / Featuring Dustin Haisler
Darwin AI
These are selected perspectives, not a substitute for legal review. Older recordings retain their historical context. Some host platforms may require registration or a subscription. Company announcements and sponsored material are labeled; they are not independent evaluations.
COMMON QUESTIONS
AI governance is how an agency sets responsibility, evaluates AI use, protects information, reviews outcomes, and maintains oversight. My approach connects those decisions to daily work through visibility, usable policy, and ongoing review.
I co-founded and co-led the Center for Public Sector AI at e.Republic, contributed public briefings and demonstrations, and now serve as Chief AI Officer and US General Manager at Darwin AI. My public work includes writing on governed AI infrastructure and workshops with government practitioners, researchers, and industry leaders.
Start with the Darwin AI Policy Wizard. Treat the output as a draft to adapt to your agency's data, tools, responsibilities, and applicable requirements. Have the appropriate legal and operational teams review it before adoption.
No. A policy states expectations. A governance program makes those expectations operational through ownership, an inventory of AI uses, review and approval processes, employee education, monitoring, and updates as tools and needs change.
My speaking and advisory work covers responsible AI adoption, governance, workforce readiness, and the transition from pilots to operational use. Start a conversation to discuss an executive briefing, workshop, or advisory engagement.
BUILD THE FOUNDATION FOR WHAT COMES NEXT