In my experience, there are many small business owners that think they need a Silicon Valley budget to see real-world gains from artificial intelligence. Usually, they look at me with a healthy dose of Northwest skepticism when I tell them otherwise. But lately, I’ve been pointing them toward an unlikely laboratory of innovation: Seattle City Hall.
In late 2025, Mayor Bruce Harrell launched the City of Seattle 2025-2026 AI Plan, a 26-page framework that moved the city from “thinking about AI” to running 40+ active experiments. For a small business owner, this plan isn’t just government paperwork; it’s a fine example of how to test-drive AI without crashing the car.
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