Only California state employees can use Poppy, a new AI assistant designed for security

Only California state employees can use Poppy, a new AI assistant designed for security

https://statescoop.com/california-poppy-state-government-ai-assistant/

Publish Date: 2026-02-20 14:47:00

Source Domain: statescoop.com

• California Launches AI Assistant Poppy: California’s state technology team introduced Poppy, an AI-powered digital assistant designed for use within the state’s secure, internal network.

• Security and Data Privacy Focus: Poppy operates exclusively on government-secured networks and draws information only from official CA.gov websites to protect sensitive data from breaches.

• Pilot Launch and Positive Feedback: Poppy started as a pilot in September and has over 2,600 users across 66 departments, receiving positive reviews for improving efficiency and confidence in tasks.

• Application-Specific Tasks: Users utilize Poppy for various tasks, like policy analysis by legal teams, and succession planning by human resources specialists, enhancing their workflow.

• Compliance and Ethics: Poppy flags any data containing personally identifiable information and refuses to complete tasks involving such information, ensuring responsible and ethical use within government regulations.

• Limited to Government Infrastructure: Unlike general public AI services, Poppy does not leave California’s internal infrastructure, which maintains control over sensitive policy details and collaborations.

• Future Training Plans: After the pilot concludes in June, California plans to expand Poppy’s usage and provide additional training to address user expectations and proper AI tool utilization.

• Author Profile: The article was written by Sophia Fox-Sowell, a reporter specialized in AI, cybersecurity, and government regulation, with a background in anthropology and media innovation.