AI Is in ‘Productivity Phase’ as CIOs Mull Environmental Impact
At this stage of the hype cycle, artificial intelligence is demonstrating real value to state IT organizations. Arizona CIO J.R. Sloan is optimistic that solutions to emerging concerns around escalating energy use are on the way.
NEW ORLEANS — Artificial intelligence, or more specifically, generative artificial intelligence and its use in government, has matured significantly since the last time the National Association of State Chief Information Officers met in May. Many states have established advisory groups to both explore the technology’s use and help establish policies that guard against potential risks.
Arizona IT officials are entrenched in this endeavor, working with the governor’s office and agencies in the state.
“AI is not new,” said Arizona Chief Information Officer J.R. Sloan. “Generative AI is really the new thing, and that’s where we focused establishing a policy and a procedure; and that’s where we're coaching the agencies and working with them on putting additional governance in place for how we embrace generative AI, and what that’s really bringing to us in terms of opportunities and capabilities.”
As the use of AI grows, in government and the private sector, officials are confronting a related issue: spiraling energy needs. Earlier this month, news went public, for example, that Three Mile Island nuclear power station will reopen in the next few years, with major tech companies eyeing its potential to meet their requirements for power.
Arizona’s Sloan is optimistic that tech innovations will help solve the need for growing energy in the next few years, so that technology like generative AI will be able to deliver on its promise.
Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.
Thad Rueter writes about the business of government technology. He covered local and state governments for newspapers in the Chicago area and Florida, as well as e-commerce, digital payments and related topics for various publications. He lives in Wisconsin. <br/>
