Alabama Appoints First Chief AI Officer
Alabama has promoted Aaron Wright, the state's director of application development, to serve as its first chief artificial intelligence officer. Wright started in the role Monday.
The appointment follows a 2024 executive order from Gov. Kay Ivey that created a generative AI task force. The task force was tasked with assessing how state agencies use AI, encouraging responsible deployment, and recommending policies for future use across executive agencies.
Last year, the task force released its first report showing that nearly 25% of Alabama agencies were already using generative AI. Agencies deployed the technology for text generation, language translation, software code development, and problem-solving.
Wright led the task force's working group on data management and ownership. He has spent over four years as director of application development at the Alabama Office of Information Technology and brings nearly 30 years of IT experience, including previous roles at the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services and in healthcare.
Government agencies across the country are moving to formalize AI governance as use cases expand. AI for Government resources can help officials understand implementation strategies, while AI Learning Path for Policy Makers provides guidance on developing effective AI policies.
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