Arizona launches AI-powered tool to help residents find government services with everyday questions

For Tucson residents trying to navigate state government, a new online tool offers a simpler way to find help without knowing the formal name of a program or which agency runs it. FindServices.az.gov, launched by Gov. Katie Hobbs, lets Arizonans ask questions in everyday language and receive information about state services, including food assistance, motor vehicle offices, licensing requirements and ways to report suspected fraud.

The mobile friendly, bilingual website is designed to function as a central starting point for government services. Instead of searching through separate agency websites, a resident can type a question such as “help with groceries” or “find a babysitter.” The tool then points users toward state programs and resources that may address their needs. For people in Tucson, that could mean a more direct path through the state bureaucracy when they are looking for support with household costs, health and safety concerns or other everyday needs.

The system also handles practical questions that may otherwise require navigating agency pages or waiting for assistance from staff. It can provide information such as the hours of the nearest Motor Vehicle Division office and offer step by step guidance for applying for certain licenses, including a contractor’s license. The site’s homepage organizes additional options around filing complaints, checking regulations and researching business licenses, giving residents several ways to begin even when they are unsure which state office is responsible.

A separate “Report Fraud” feature allows users to submit allegations involving fraud, waste and abuse. Those reports are sent to the appropriate enforcement authorities, according to the governor’s office. The feature adds an accountability function to a tool otherwise focused on finding information, although the announcement does not describe how reports are reviewed or how quickly users should expect a response.

Hobbs’ office says the need for a central entry point reflects the size and complexity of Arizona government. More than 60 departments, agencies, boards and commissions offer over 300 programs intended to protect residents’ health, safety and well-being. With so many services spread across different parts of state government, residents may know what problem they need to solve without knowing the name of the program or the agency that administers it. The new site is intended to close that gap by accepting ordinary questions rather than requiring official terminology.

The governor described the project as a way to connect people with their state government and make access to critical information more straightforward. Her office said residents should not have to know whether a particular service exists before they begin looking for help. The broader goal is to make interacting with the state feel less like sorting through a maze of agencies and more like asking a question, then being directed to a relevant resource.

Arizona built the tool with Google’s Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform as part of Hobbs’ effort to use technology to make state government more efficient and accessible. The launch places Arizona among governments testing artificial intelligence for routine public information. In Morris County, New Jersey, the county clerk’s office recently introduced its own AI virtual assistant, available through the clerk’s website around the clock. That assistant covers passports, property records, elections, business registrations, notary services and veterans’ records, with the stated goal of answering common questions while reducing wait times.

The New Jersey project was developed by the Morris County Clerk’s Office with TechForGov and Arlington Analytics, and the office said it believes it is the first county clerk’s office in that state to offer a resident facing AI assistant. Officials there presented the technology as a way to provide fast access to reliable government information while allowing employees to devote more attention to complicated or personalized requests. Arizona’s tool takes a broader approach, covering services across state government rather than concentrating on one clerk’s office, but both efforts rely on conversational access to help residents find information more quickly.

For Tucsonans, FindServices.az.gov is not a replacement for every interaction with a government employee or agency. Its central purpose is to help residents identify the right service, understand available instructions and locate relevant offices or reporting channels. The launch gives people a new starting point when they are searching for assistance but do not know the program’s official title, and it reflects a wider push to make government information easier to reach through the kinds of questions people actually ask.