Indiana government’s usage of AI in certain services

Indianapolis, Indiana – In order to prevent technology from advancing faster than state government regulation, Indiana’s senior IT executives informed lawmakers on Wednesday that the state is implementing artificial intelligence gradually.

The state’s AI task force met for the first time on Wednesday since Republican governor Eric Holcomb signed legislation creating it earlier this spring. The panel’s legislators noted that the possibility that AI could jeopardize data privacy was one of their top worries.

According to Chief Information Officer Tracy Barnes, the state is presently using AI for three purposes. One is a program that suggests job and training opportunities to individuals applying for unemployment benefits. A second is a chatbot designed to assist users in connecting with the services they require; it is currently undergoing beta testing. A security log program for internal cybersecurity purposes is the third. Barnes stated that the Department of Correction is investigating the use of an AI tool to assist in monitoring security camera feeds for anomalous activity, and state agencies are evaluating the use of AI for document review and email summary purposes.

Rep. Matt Lehman, a Republican from Bremen, and Sen. Liz Brown, a Republican from Fort Wayne, who co-chaired the committee, questioned Barnes and Indiana Chief Privacy Officer Ted Cotterill in-depth regarding data retention and access between departments. According to Barnes and Cotterill, the state already has stringent regulations governing the kinds of data that can be kept and how long they can be kept.

According to Cotterill, “I think what makes us different is that AI presents a computer’s ability to sort of be humanlike.” The dynamic has altered in places where we are accustomed to engaging with traditional IT systems. We seem to be speaking with a human being a lot more.

According to Cotterill, the state’s primary requirement is to find a means of streamlining and scaling up its protection procedures, particularly for its outside contractors.

Lehman gave reporters an insightful summary of the state’s present AI usage during the hearing on Wednesday. He stated that he anticipates hearings in the future to be more application-specific, with a particular emphasis on law enforcement and education, in addition to his legislative responsibilities, Rep. Matt Pierce, a Democrat from Bloomington, lectures at universities. He expressed concern about whether artificial intelligence (AI) will improve student learning or just give them a new tool to cheat. He expressed his suspicion that the legislature won’t intervene unless they discover a serious problem that isn’t covered by the current regulations.

“I don’t think we know what that mix is yet,” he added. “The question is, at what point does the government through laws or regulations put in place guidelines to ensure you maximize the positive impacts on society and you limit the negative impacts.”

Barnes later explained to News 8 that generative AI is merely a new tool to assist people in doing an old task: swiftly sorting and analyzing vast amounts of data. According to him, the majority of the laws and guidelines AI need for data security are already in place.

“The technology that we’ve been using for many, many years, as well as the privacy of our data, are all being protected,” he stated. “How do we ensure that AI solutions and AI vendors are being held to that standard? More important than new guidelines, really?”

By October 31st, the AI task force will be required to submit any legislative suggestions.