“AI is especially exciting because now we have the opportunity to deliver the information that our citizens and residents need in the way they want to receive it, in the language they want to receive it.” — Gretchen Peri, State Chief Technology Officer
“Privacy and security do work hand in hand, but the security is more of the how we’re protecting the data, and the privacy side is really thinking about the what — what data are we collecting, and for what reasons do we need it?” — Katy Ruckle, State Chief Privacy Officer
These principles — using technology to better serve residents while protecting their information — anchor Washington’s next major digital upgrade.
Early next year, the state will launch the first public version of its new Resident Portal on wa.gov, giving people a single place to sign in, find services and track applications across agencies. The goal is to save time, reduce frustration and make government work more like private sector sites like Amazon but with public accountability at the center. Interviewed on TVW’s Inside Olympia, Peri called the effort “an exercise in efficiency and effectiveness,” adding that government must “constantly look to strike” this balance on behalf of the public.
A pilot completed this past June tested features including a personal profile, an AI chatbot and customized service suggestions. The statewide rollout began the next month, with a public version expected in early 2026 as the state phases out its older Secure Access Washington login system.
According to Ruckle, the portal’s success depends on maintaining public trust. She said piloting and implementing chatbots is done with careful human supervision to ensure privacy, security and accuracy. Some applications raise fewer privacy questions, she said, such as AI trained to identify fish species from underwater video. Unlike people and their data, she noted, “the rockfish just doesn’t care.”