Georgia state officials told StateScoop this week they are developing an “innovation lab” — a digital and physical space where they can combine the latest technologies, like artificial intelligence, with agency challenges.
The idea for the next lab was born in part from the avalanche of AI tools that vendors are offering to government technology leaders. Nikhil Deshpande, Georgia’s chief digital and AI officer, told StateScoop he expects the new lab to launch soon — “not weeks, but months, but definitely not years.” did he declare.
“Today we see a lot of applications and demonstrations of AI and as agencies we understand that we have a certain need, a certain gap that needs to be filled,” Deshpande said. “The lab will provide the space needed to deliver these proofs of concepts in (the Georgia Technology Authority’s) controlled sandbox environment.”
Deshpande said officials eventually plan to establish a “list” of vendors allowed to participate in the lab to help agencies resolve various issues.
“Vendor partners will have the opportunity to directly present their solutions in the context of agencies’ business challenges and propose directly to agencies how some of these technologies could fill these gaps,” he said. “This is in no way a way of advocating a certain technology. This is a solution space only, so we’ll focus on what the problem is and see how can we solve it.
Although AI is inevitable in 2024, Deshpande said the lab is designed to be technology agnostic, intended to focus on government challenges and remain relevant in the face of new technologies that will emerge in the months and years to come. come.
“The lab is really a way to accelerate the development, testing and implementation of these solutions, primarily powered by some of the new emerging technologies, such as AI,” he said. “The AI revolution has caused some agencies to really focus on some of these problems in the hope that new emerging technologies can be a solution to solving these problems. So the Greater Toronto Area uniquely provides this land to conduct these experiments. »
The lab represents one-third of a statewide AI initiative, alongside an AI governance framework and AI training for state employees. Led by the state’s technology department, the Georgia Technology Authority, the state’s AI effort also involves other government agencies, higher education institutions and the private sector.
Georgia officials last month convened the inaugural meeting of a new 14-member AI council, which includes AI experts from Georgia Tech and Georgia State, private sector AI experts, directors of Georgia’s information agency and state CIO Shawnzia Thomas, Deshpande said.
He said the group’s first monthly meeting reaffirmed the importance of AI ethics, data governance and AI training and standards. With the help of Rose Procter, executive director of the TRUIST Center for Ethical Leadership at the University of North Georgia and an AI board member, Deshpande said, Georgia is developing a “DNA ethics guide” that establishes “statewide leadership” for the ethical use of AI.
“We have pretty much confirmed that AI training and the critical focus on the ethical use of these technologies is not a necessity, but a necessity,” he said. “This is the first step before we start using these new technologies. Every state employee must have an updated framework and training when using these technologies, whether they use them in their own work or design them for their constituents.
