A 12-week pilot program between the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer (DST) and OpenAI have identified millions of dollars in potential unclaimed property.
The Unclaimed Property Division, also known as NC Cash, integrated OpenAI’s ChatGPT into its systems to help identify businesses holding assets that may belong to North Carolina residents. Preliminary results showed improved efficiency in locating and contacting those entities, potentially accelerating the return of unclaimed property. The scope of newly identified assets could total in the millions.
“Our team set out to find out how we could modernize our department, while still providing top notch service to folks across the state,” said State Treasurer Brad Briner in a press release. “We work with huge amounts of data in everything that we do, and the majority of it is public information. As this pilot program wraps up, we are thrilled to say our divisions were able to take that publicly available information and utilize ChatGPT in ways that resulted in tangible and measurable improvements to their daily workflow.”
Officials from DST say the project demonstrated potential to modernize how government agencies process large datasets and engage with the public. However, the program also highlights growing concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in sensitive areas of government.
While proponents point to increased productivity and cost savings, others caution that integrating AI into public systems raises questions about data security, oversight, and transparency. AI tools—especially those developed by third parties—may interact with sensitive personal or financial information. Critics argue that without proper safeguards, such programs could expose government systems to privacy risks or reduce accountability in decision-making processes.
DST and OpenAI are partnered with North Carolina Central University’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence to conduct an independent evaluation of the pilot. The full report will explore both the operational outcomes and ethical considerations tied to using AI in public administration.
DST emphasized that any future use of AI tools would require strict oversight and alignment with legal and ethical standards.
