Governor Kay Ivey is kicking off the Artificial Intelligence Task Force’s first meeting on Wednesday, April 3, at the Alabama State Capital in Montgomery.
Following her 2024 State of the State address, Ivey signed Executive Order 738 to create a task force to recommend policies for the responsible and effective use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) in state executive-branch agencies.
Amazon explains GenAI is a type of AI that can create new content and ideas. This includes conversations, stories, images, videos and music. Generative AI can be trained to learn human language, programming languages, art, chemistry, biology or any complex subject matter.
The tech company further explains that GenAI reuses training data to solve new problems. For example, it can learn English vocabulary and create a poem from the words it processes. Organizations can use this type of AI for different purposes. This includes chatbots, media creation and product development and design.
Ivey's Executive Order 738 establishes the Governor’s Task Force on Generative Artificial Intelligence, with its members appointed by the governor. According to a press release from Ivey's office, it will consist of seven cabinet members, two representatives from Alabama higher education and four legislators, including two state representatives and two state senators.
“The state of Alabama is a pioneer in the development and use of advanced technologies, from manufacturing nanotechnology to empowering mankind to walk on the moon,” said Governor Ivey in the press release. “In that innovative spirit, GenAI represents a monumental step forward in the potential for our state government to serve the public. However, its capabilities must first be studied carefully to ensure it is implemented in the most responsible and efficient manner possible."
The Artificial Intelligence Task Force will submit a report to the governor by November 30, 2024, providing the following:
- Findings: The report will contain a detailed and accurate description of the current use of GenAI in executive-branch agencies and whether those uses pose any risk.
- Recommendations: The Task Force shall study, evaluate, and develop policy and administrative recommendations related to the responsible deployment of GenAI in state government.
Executive Order 738 also contains other provisions to ensure that state agencies safely and effectively harness the power of GenAI going forward. This includes:
- Facilitating responsible development of GenAI applications. The Office of Information Technology will establish the cloud infrastructure to allow state agencies to safely and responsibly conduct GenAI pilot projects in OIT-approved environments. These environments will be available to state agencies and departments to help evaluate GenAI tools and services and inform decisions on whether and how to use GenAI.
- Promoting productive and efficient use of GenAI. All state executive-branch agencies should consider pilot projects of GenAI applications in consultation with experts from state government, academia, and industry. In a controlled setting, these pilot projects should measure (1) how GenAI can improve Alabamians’ experience with and access to government services and (2) how GenAI can support state employees in the performance of their duties.
More on the Artificial Intelligence Task Force and Executive Order 738 can be found here.
