Executive Summary
Under the leadership of CTO Stephen N. Miller, Washington, DC has built one of the most structured and accountable AI governance frameworks of any major American city — and the Office of the Chief Technology Officer initiated and led every element. The framework begins with Mayor’s Order 2024-028, signed February 2024, which established OCTO as the District’s authoritative body for AI governance and created six core AI Values: Clear Benefit to Residents, Safety and Equity, Accountability, Transparency, Sustainability, and Privacy & Cybersecurity. From that mandate, CTO Miller enforced access restrictions on unauthorized AI tools in January 2025, deployed the AI Values Alignment (AIVA) review process across 80+ agencies, launched enterprise-wide mandatory responsible AI training — making DC the first major U.S. city to require it — and rolled out Microsoft Copilot Chat enterprise-wide following a rigorous 314-person, 37-agency pilot. The result is a governance-first AI adoption model that treats rigor and innovation not as competing forces, but as inseparable pillars of responsible public service.
