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Vermont governor creates AI task force to recommend state government uses within 90 days
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott signed an executive order creating an AI taskforce to recommend how state agencies can use the technology. The group has 90 days to deliver up to five recommendations.
Vermont Creates AI Taskforce to Guide State Government Adoption
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott created the Vermont Artificial Intelligence Economic Taskforce through executive order Monday, tasking the group with recommending how state agencies could use AI to serve the public better.
The taskforce must deliver up to five recommendations within 90 days. It will also educate state leaders on applying AI to their work.
Neale Lunderville, president and CEO of Vermont Gas, will chair the group. Membership includes secretaries from the Agency of Digital Services and Agency of Commerce and Community Development, along with leaders from various economic sectors.
Small Businesses Could Gain Competitive Edge
Lunderville said ChatGPT and similar tools available off the shelf could level the playing field for Vermont's small businesses and rural communities - but only if the state acts deliberately.
"We need to really understand it before we can make smart decisions about it," Lunderville said in an interview.
He pointed to small manufacturers using AI to draft requests for proposals, cutting a 20-hour process down to five hours. On the municipal level, AI could handle routine administrative work for volunteer selectboards and part-time town clerks.
"We'll see better government that way," he said.
State Government Already Using AI Tools
Vermont's Agency of Digital Services cited ChatVT and an invoice processing tool as examples of successful AI for Government adoption.
Behind the scenes, state staff are already experimenting. One communications worker uses AI to draft internal staff messages. A high-level state official discussed using it to summarize international news with a colleague.
Lunderville has built a dozen AI applications on his own using accessible tools. One crawls news stories and municipal websites to track new housing developments across Vermont.
Three Priority Areas
The taskforce will focus on economic acceleration, small business competitiveness, and community resilience.