In response to the growing role that generative artificial intelligence is playing in society, Governor Tina Kotek issued Executive Order 23-26, which creates the Oregon State Government AI Advisory Council to develop recommendations for its utilization across state government.

“Artificial intelligence is an important new frontier, bringing the potential for substantial benefits to our society, as well as risks we must prepare for,” Governor Kotek said. “This rapidly developing technological landscape leads to questions that we must take head on, including concerns regarding ethics, privacy, equity, security, and social change. It has never been more essential to ensure the safe and beneficial use of artificial intelligence – and I look forward to seeing the work this council produces. We want to continue to foster an environment for innovation while also protecting individual and civil rights.”

The Council will provide a recommended action plan framework to the Governor’s Office no later than six months from the date of its first convening and a final recommended action plan no later than 12 months from its first convening.

The action plan will aim to maximize potential benefits of ethical and effective artificial intelligence implementation and adoption, along with thoughtful governance and standards to mitigate risk and address privacy, ethics, and equity. The goal will be to ensure Oregon has clear usage policies that outline the acceptable use of AI tools, providing transparency, uplifting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and protecting personally identifiable information and other sensitive information.

The Council will consist of no more than 15 members, all of whom must have a commitment to data ethics and data equity. Council structure seems to be aimed at promoting the majority party’s agenda with members from the Oregon State Chief Information Officer (who will chair the council), the Oregon State Chief Data Officer, a representative from the Governor’s Racial Justice Council, the Department of Administrative Services Cultural Change Officer, and an additional agency representative to be appointed by the Governor.

Governor Kotek will also appoint up to eight additional members, which may include community organizations with demonstrated expertise in data justice, artificial intelligence experts from Oregon universities, and representatives from local governments. Additionally, the President of the Senate shall appoint one member of the Oregon State Senate and the Speaker of the House shall appoint one member of the Oregon House of Representatives.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Last year, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy published the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. The document is a non-binding ‘white paper’ intended to support the development of policies and practices that protect civil rights and promote democratic values in the building, deployment, and governance of automated systems. It lays out five principles centered on the need for ethical and equitable principles that should guide the design, use, and deployment of automated systems to protect the American public in the age of artificial intelligence.

While the Governor and the ‘white paper’ both lay out specific data privacy practices, it seems contrary to the Secretary of State’s pilot project gathering information and the plans to develop spying software.

Full membership and meeting times will be announced at a later date.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-11-30 10:19:31

Last Update: 2023-11-30 00:37:41