States are exploring generative artificial intelligence while putting it in action for several everyday purposes, reported the National Association of State Chief Information Officers in a panel Monday.
NASCIO recently conducted a survey of state CIOs — the full results of which will be released in October — to explore how their governments are using GenAI. Speaking at the NASCIO 2024 annual conference in New Orleans, Amy Hille Glasscock, NASCIO’s program director for innovation and emerging issues, revealed the top four business processes cited by survey respondents:
1. Virtual meeting assistant transcription
2. Cybersecurity operations
3. Document generation and management
4. Software code generation
State CIOs reported piloting use cases in these areas as well as in data analytics.
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State IT Officials Think Beyond Everyday AI Use Cases
At NASCIO 2024, Glasscock asked panelists what they thought was missing from the list.
Paula Peters, Missouri’s deputy CIO for digital transformation, said states should be doing more with AI and contracting.
“One of the things that we need help with is disclosures from our vendors,” Peters said. “AI wasn’t a thing when we produced a lot of our contracts.”
Therefore, the state would like to know how vendors are leveraging AI. How do they collect data for AI use, and where do they send the data?
Jim Weaver, North Carolina CIO, said states must pay more attention to data governance, including data readiness and data classification. One data set may have a low classification status, and a second data set may also have a low classification status. However, when combined, the two data sets might violate privacy guidelines by starting a trail of personally identifiable information that should not be released.
“Many agencies don’t truly know what data they have and where that data is sitting,” Weaver said. “We must leverage data for the right purposes.”
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States Must Improve Data Management to Steer AI Projects
Speaking as part of Monday’s NASCIO panel, Weaver — who is also NASCIO’s outgoing president — said, “Data is the fuel for generative AI. It’s what makes the engine work.”
Prior to the annual conference, NASCIO and EY released a report, Data Quality – Vital to Optimizing GenAI, which revealed only 22% of state CIOs have an established data quality program.
According to the report, 95% of respondents “anticipate that AI and GenAI will amplify the significance of data management,” the report reads. Most respondents (57%) described their approach to data management as “reactive.” “This reflects a widespread lack of understanding of data quality principles, a deficiency of formal programs to foster improvement and a tendency to view data quality as a technology agency’s responsibility rather than a cross-departmental concern,” the report said.
READ MORE: Here are some state CIO concerns and hopes for GenAI and workforce.
State and Local Agencies Face AI Adoption Challenges
In a separate survey, Insights into the Integration of AI in Government, EY found that “near-daily AI usage at state and local agencies is significantly lower than federal agencies,” at 51% versus 64% respectively. Furthermore, state agencies lag federal agencies in adopting AI policies, with 22% of state leaders saying their agencies do not have a policy compared with 7% of federal agencies that don’t have one.
The EY survey identified the top barriers to expanding AI use in state and local governments:
• 48% Unclear governance and/or ethical frameworks
• 30% Lack of technology infrastructure
• 30% AI applications not aligned with current agency needs
Keep this page bookmarked for our coverage of the NASCIO 2024 Annual conference. Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @StateTech and the official conference Twitter account, @NASCIO. Join the conversation using the hashtag #NASCIO24.
