Highlights from the Box State and Local (SLED) Government Virtual Summit

State and local agencies face a challenge: citizens demand quicker, more accessible services, while governments operate within limited resources and strict compliance requirements. It's a balancing act—but AI and automation create new opportunities to do more with existing resources.

At the recent SLED summit, leaders explored how AI-driven automation and Intelligent Content Management (ICM) help agencies reduce manual tasks and boost efficiency. Attendees heard examples of organizations modernizing workflows, accelerating decision-making, and delivering better community experiences.

Whether you're experimenting with AI or just getting started, this recap offers insights and inspiration to help broaden your perspective and advance your agency.

AI in action: A new era of efficiency and innovation

Aaron Levie, CEO and co-founder of Box, opened the Summit with a forward-looking vision for AI-powered government services. He framed the shift to AI as central to agency modernization, emphasizing how Box connects content and AI to deliver the leading ICM platform, helping agencies meet growing digital demands.

As content becomes increasingly central to public sector workflows, ICM is emerging as a key driver of transformation. It unlocks unstructured data trapped in documents like PDFs, presentations, and audio recordings—enabling agencies to inform decisions and enhance service delivery.

This shift accelerates as agencies adopt AI strategies. AI agents help teams extract value from documents, automate workflows, and generate insights from opaque data. By converting unstructured content into structured intelligence, agencies streamline operations and improve outcomes.

"We are entering a new era of software—the third era—defined by systems of intelligence. AI agents are augmenting the workforce, enhancing the capabilities of every government employee. We will make quicker decisions, automate workflows, and achieve more breakthroughs."

Aaron Levie, CEO and Co-Founder, Box

Box's platform combines security, simplicity, and AI to create efficiencies. With native AI, no-code tools, and enterprise integrations, agencies can deploy solutions that streamline work and enhance engagement. Modern government advances by empowering employees and constituents with faster, smarter, and more connected experiences.

The future of public service: smarter, faster, and more secure

Brett Conrad, VP of Public Sector at Box, and Murtaza Masood, Managing Director of State & Local Government at Box, discussed the pressure on agencies to achieve more with less amidst budget constraints, staffing shortages, and rising public expectations. However, outdated content management systems often hinder progress.

They outlined how AI and automation can address these issues, sharing guidance on using ICM to cut costs, streamline processes, and enhance service delivery.

Today, agency content is scattered across legacy ECM systems, file shares, SharePoint, and various business apps, leading to fragmented experiences and governance challenges. High costs of AI tools based on consumption models limit broad AI adoption for workforce productivity and large volumes of content. CIOs demand interoperable, flexible solutions that deliver value quickly without long development cycles.

"With flexible federal guidance and a practical approach to AI, state and local agencies are leaning into Gen AI to work smarter—from speeding up evidence review in law enforcement to helping teams make faster, more informed decisions, all while staying focused on security and compliance." —

Murtaza Masood, Managing Director, State & Local Government, Box

The good news? Generative AI is gaining momentum. As federal guidance evolves and recognition of AI's value grows, state and local agencies are eager to embrace new tools. Security and compliance remain essential, but there is a consensus: AI has the potential to transform how government works.

Box enables transformation with a FedRAMP High-authorized platform that combines secure content management, document generation, e-signatures, and AI. Unlike legacy systems needing costly upgrades, Box provides unlimited storage, AI search, and integrations with platforms like Salesforce and ServiceNow. It’s built for scale, speed, and simplicity, allowing agencies to reduce costs, enhance collaboration, and modernize without complexity or lengthy deployment timelines.

Real-world impact: turning challenges into change

Across the country, agencies are already seeing results:

• Texas DMV migrated from FileNet to Box to resolve storage and performance issues. They are integrating Box with Salesforce for services such as dealer registration and exploring Box AI for automating metadata extraction.
• Los Angeles County DPSS replaced its Documentum system with Box, reducing maintenance costs and enhancing functionality. They integrated Box with Salesforce for a citizen support chatbot and are evaluating Box AI to assist investigators in surfacing insights from case files and video footage.

The session concluded with an introduction to Box Studio, a tool that enables agencies to build custom AI agents using their preferred models. Box's model-agnostic approach allows for the integration of OpenAI, AWS Bedrock, Anthropic, Gemini, IBM Watson or even an agency’s own models while securing content within Box. All AI features have full FedRAMP High authorization.

"The big takeaway from today’s webinar? Box can help your agency achieve significant cost savings—potentially hundreds of thousands or even millions—by cutting duplicative spend and consolidating vendors onto one secure, FedRAMP High platform."

Brett Conrad, VP, Public Sector, Box

Modernizing public service: real-world insights from government innovators

A panel discussion moderated by Barry Condrey, Senior Fellow at the Center for Digital Government, showcased stories from government leaders who have implemented Box to drive innovation:

·       Chuck Harris, Chief of Application and Data Services Branch, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA)

·       Grant Sharp, Manager, South Orange County Watershed Management Area, Orange County Public Works

·       Deepak Budwani, Assistant Department Leader/Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, County of Santa Barbara, CA

Each agency struggled with paper data, outdated systems, and isolated workflows while ensuring compliance. Adopting Box and Box AI improved efficiency, strengthened data governance, and enhanced collaboration, leading to more secure and cost-effective services.

From risk to readiness: unlocking insights while protecting data

CDTFA's Chuck Harris grappled with managing vast amounts of unstructured data—including documents, emails, audio, and video—while complying with federal regulations, such as Federal Tax Information (FTI) requirements.  

CDTFA used Box and Box AI to establish a scalable data governance framework for data classification, loss prevention, and integration with tools like Microsoft Purview and Defender. This enabled CDTFA to identify, protect, and derive insights from its data while meeting compliance requirements.

Outcomes included improved security, increased efficiency, and enhanced preparation for organizational change, positioning the agency to use taxpayer resources more effectively and responsibly.

“Data governance is a big part of our program. You need to know what data you have, and you must classify it appropriately to ensure it is protected. Data Loss Prevention (DLP) is critical—in California, DLP must be implemented to use Federal Tax Information broadly.”

Chuck Harris, Chief of Application and Data Services Branch, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration

Efficiency in the field: reducing turnaround time from weeks to hours

Grant Sharp of OCPWs faced challenges in managing content across both field and office environments due to outdated, paper-based data collection processes and limited collaboration capabilities.

With Box, OCPW enhanced efficiency and transformed workflows by replacing manual tasks with mobile, real-time data collection integrated into automated systems. Staff can focus on fieldwork rather than data entry. Box also enables secure, real-time collaboration with external partners, cutting turnaround times from weeks to hours.

The result was a more responsive and scalable content management approach that improved public service delivery and inter-agency coordination.

"Keep it simple—that’s what’s so wonderful about Box. It’s easy to use, even for first-time users, and still capable of sophisticated workflows. Start small, build momentum, and you’ll see the transformation unfold."

Grant Sharp, Manager, South Orange County Watershed Management Area, Orange County Public Works

Smarter case files: using AI to transform legal operations

Deepak Budwani, CFAO, Santa Barbara County, faced extensive unstructured, paper-based legal case data in the Public Defender's Office, some dating back to the 1970s, with retention rules requiring permanent storage.

The office implemented Box, a secure cloud-based content management platform integrated with their case data system (E Defender), providing a digital case view from anywhere. Box AI improved document classification, summarization, and keyword extraction, reducing manual work for lengthy police reports and surveillance data.

This improved workflows and sped up defense preparation, establishing a foundation for AI search capabilities in case files and enhancing productivity for an overburdened department.

“Ideally, technology is meant to improve how we serve people. Bring everyone to the table–your attorneys, office staff, and investigators–because IT touches every part of your organization. You don't need to have all the answers upfront, but if you lead with intention, curiosity, and a commitment to justice, AI can be a powerful ally.”

Deepak Budwani, Assistant Department Leader/Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, County of Santa Barbara, CA

The path forward: AI is here, and it's working

Discussions throughout the Summit made one thing clear: AI and automation are no longer abstract ideas—they're tools already reshaping government. With the right platform, agencies can overcome legacy challenges, deliver secure and responsive citizen services, and optimize limited resources.

Box is proud to support this transformation, empowering government teams to build a more modern, efficient, and innovative future—today.

For a deeper dive into how Box can help further your agency’s mission with AI and automation, watch the Virtual Summit on demand here.