In Massachusetts, government tech leaders are embarking on an “offensive” to find new uses for artificial intelligence, said Jason Snyder, the state's chief information officer.
Snyder told StateScoop in a recent video interview that the federal government is actively working on the use of AI and plans to set policy in the future. This fits neatly into the state's AI plan after Gov. Maura Healey proposed creating an AI task force in her 2024 economic development plan. The group was established by executive order in February and is tasked with studying AI and its impact on nations, private companies, higher education, and the public.
Snyder, who is also secretary of the Technology Services and Security Administration, said he is working with the state's economic development secretary to survey industry groups to find new potential uses for generative AI.
“We believe there is a lot of work being done on policy, but in Massachusetts we believe that policy is created through use. By building on that foundation, we'll be able to better understand what policies are needed along with AI,” Snyder said at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, this month. stated at the interim meeting. .
He said another top priority is ensuring state agencies and their data practices are AI-ready. Snyder said the state's data analytics program has increased its focus on quality data and how to better integrate data across agencies, but that process can take time. He said there is.
“We recently had an example where we had to bring in four government agencies' worth of data, and it took six months just to get them to agree to it,” Snyder said. “Then it was very difficult to reconcile the data.”
Snyder said the AI task force's work will be completed by August, when the group will lead a summit with governors where it will present its findings.
“At the summit, we will not only present the work of the task force itself, but also present to the governor the use cases that agencies have used in private sandboxes,” he said. “So I’m excited to see what they come up with, including different ideas and ways to use AI to better serve voters in Massachusetts.”
