Floridians know hurricane season all too well. Anyone who’s lived in the state for a while knows that preparing for hurricane season comes long before June 1. This year, AI has come into play to prepare the state for what is estimated to be a tumultuous season with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimating 17-25 named storms.

KPMG is leading the way in the nation for helping clients understand and navigate AI, ranking #1 for “AI advice and implementation” by 700 senior executives, directors, and senior managers in the U.S. They’ve brought their skill and expertise to Florida and have been able to implement GenAI or its related cousin, machine learning, with the goal of saving state taxpayers money.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) for instance, has started using AI with the help of KPMG to be able to prepare for hurricane season. KPMG has crafted the AI program at FDEM to create efficiencies, make predictions and automations, and remove some of the repetitiveness and fatigue that comes with the emergency preparedness job.

The AI system is currently being used to flag data – specifically to review applicant’s documents with rules to run analysis but also to flag for abnormalities (such as fraud, waste, and abuse) requiring more scrutiny. For example, if a truck driver who requests reimbursement for traveling to two places at once, a person reviewing thousands of claims might overlook this simple detail. However, the AI system can flag it for a reviewer and prevent the mistake. The same AI can detect many other issues like a vendor seeking reimbursement for an individual based on hours not mathematically possible since they exceed 24 hours in a single day. AI also expedites claims awards for those that do not have issues so they can move through the system faster, which have reduced payment time from months to just weeks or days in many cases.

When people hear that AI is on the rise the most common concern is usually around job security. We want to make sure that people know that our AI programs are not working alone but WITH us. Effective AI programs will never eliminate the need for a human being to be involved in the process. With a “human in the loop” on the front end, rules can be applied into the system and guide the AI on what to look for. On the back end once the AI has provided output, someone needs to review the data and test for accuracy.

At KPMG, we strive to be a trusted advisor when it comes to AI so that our clients understand the risks and rewards of implementing anything new. We want to be at the front of these innovations and provide access to the latest technology to help ensure Florida continues to advance as a prosperous and thriving state.

This article is an op-ed. 

Chad Poppell of Tallahassee serves as Principal of KPMG’s Health and Government Solutions practice, based in Tallahassee. He previously served in Secretary roles for both the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Department of Management Services, as well as Chief of Staff at FloridaCommerce.

Bobby Gorantla is a Managing Director in KPMG’s Data and Analytics practice. He helps state agencies, including several in Florida, leverage the latest technology such as AI, machine learning, and other innovative technology enablement capabilities to bring efficiencies and advance their objectives.