The state of Maryland will receive a “software update,” Governor Wes Moore announced during the press conference. a press conference Monday.
Moore and his IT secretary, Katie Savage, announced four new technology initiatives, including one statewide. decree on artificial intelligence, a new digital services team, a digital accessibility policy and a cybersecurity partnership with the Maryland Military National Guard. Through these initiatives, Moore said, the state aims to ethically integrate AI into the work of state government, strengthen cyber defense and improve residents’ access to state resources, especially for people with disabilities.
“There’s a hard truth: The world is changing fast, and if we don’t keep pace, we’re going to fall behind,” Moore said at the news conference. “I think of it this way: my iPhone asks me to update it every eight weeks. But we haven’t modernized the way government works in the last eight years. How can we win the next decade if the tools we have to win the decade are the tools of the last decade?
Savage said Maryland’s AI executive order is the start of the state’s journey with technology. She also said it is important to use AI responsibly, productively and consistently across all Maryland agencies.
About AI, Moore said, “I want to address the elephant in the room for so many Marylanders. For many people in our state, the words AI and cyber scare some people. Here’s the problem: this technology is already here. The only question is whether we are going to be reactive or proactive. … We will not wait for technology to evolve only to find ourselves caught off guard in the face of tomorrow’s challenges. We will act and we will act together.
Savage said the executive order commits the state to a variety of actions, including identifying potential use cases and pilots for the technology while studying the intersection of AI, workforce development and and cybersecurity efforts. She said it was so the state could “learn and iterate.” .”
Maryland has the talent to lead modernization efforts across state government, Savage said, helped by the addition of a digital services team, which will support the budget for “major” IT development. She said state government has a shortage of “user experience designers, product managers, data scientists (and) engineers” and is looking to recruit talent for additional support.
She said the joint creation of the digital services team and the accessibility policy was “intentional”.
“Maryland’s Digital Accessibility Policy will ensure that all Marylanders have equal access to digital services and content, regardless of their abilities,” Savage said. “Technology can only be productive if it is accessible. »
In an effort to foster a governmental approach to improving state cybersecurity and supporting local government cybersecurity development, Savage and Moore announced the creation of the Maryland Cybersecurity Task Force. They said the task force would work with the state Department of Emergency Management and the Maryland Department of Military to encourage the development of cybersecurity talent.
Savage said the state would add personnel to the National Guard and work with the unit to “focus on system monitoring, incident response and addressing vulnerabilities.”
