Maintaining a Secure AI Environment: Resource Considerations

Author

Kock, S., Rodriguez, B., Tiderman, L.

Organization

Data Integration Support Center

Description

Public agencies are increasingly turning to generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to gain actionable insights from their data, streamline operations, and create innovative solutions that benefit their citizens. The benefits can be compelling, but they are not instant—creating a safe, secure AI environment requires careful planning, thoughtful budgeting, and steady commitment.

Summary

This brief from the Data Integration Support Center (DISC) at WestEd examines the resources needed to set up and maintain a secure AI environment. The information is informed by WestEd’s experience implementing its own secure internal AI environment in response to staff members increasingly requesting access to GenAI tools to enhance efficiency.

The brief includes examples related to personnel, software and licensing, cloud environment, and ongoing operations. Understanding these practical considerations is essential for agencies to make informed decisions about their AI implementation strategy and to ensure that their investment creates lasting value while maintaining security and trust. A companion brief, “Building a Secure AI Environment: Implementation Plan,” outlines the steps involved in implementation and provides details on WestEd’s  use case.