How Texas may craft policy for artificial intelligence usage
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The hottest topic discussed at this year’s South by Southwest had to be the growing implications and potential uses of artificial intelligence. This comes at a time when Texas leaders will meet to potentially craft policy suggestions about how the state can utilize AI and create safeguards ahead of next year’s regular legislative session.
House Bill 2060, which the governor signed into law last year, created the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council for the state. The legislation’s author, Texas Rep. Giovanni Capriglione of South Lake, will serve as the council’s co-chair after House Speaker Dade Phelan named him to the role. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick named Texas Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, as the other co-chair.
Gov. Greg Abbott appointed another four people to serve on the council. That included two Austinites: cybersecurity expert Dean Teffer and attorney John Bash. The others are Mark Stone, the chief information officer at Texas A&M University, and Angela Wilkins, the executive director of the Ken Kennedy Institute at Rice University.
Rahul Sreenivasan, an AI policy advisor for Texas 2036, supported the creation of this council, but said the members have a tall task in front of them.
“With having this council already actively looking at what is there, taking that inventory and then taking that step of looking at what pitfalls could be there as well as how things can be improved to improve government services — I think it’s very relevant, very timely,” Sreenivasan said. “Frequently, things like this can be maybe a little bit behind and more reactive, and this was very much a more prospective and proactive piece of legislation that I think is good for the state of Texas, especially given how quickly this technology is coming on.”
The clock is on already for the work this team is tasked with doing. They have until Dec. 1 to meet and craft a report for the state legislature that looks into a number of things, including how state agencies are using automated systems, assessing whether a state code of ethics about AI is needed as well as putting forward policy recommendations. The timing of that is important since it comes after the November general election and ahead of the start of the next session in January.
Texas agencies also have a role to play in this work. They have until July 1 to turn in what the law states are automated decision systems inventory reports. These will detail “all automated decision systems that are being developed, employed, or procured by the agency,” according to the law.
According to a 2022 report from the Texas Department of Information Resources, more than a third of state agencies already “deployed some form of intelligent automated solutions.” That includes a chatbot named Maya that families with questions about the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, can ask on the designated website from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
The AI advisory council will review these inventory reports from the state agencies and summarize the findings for state lawmakers.
Samantha Shorey, an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, studies AI and labor. Even though the work from the state’s advisory council is only beginning, Shorey said she hopes the members will look closely at the data generated from any AI tools used by Texas agencies.
“Data is so valuable. People have even said data is like the new oil, and you know Texas is a leader in that space,” Shorey said. “What we don’t want to have happen is that when we’re having all these interactions with technology, we’re producing this incredibly valuable resource for other companies. What we don’t want to see is that resource being sold and potentially that having negative effects for the people that were just seeking out help from their government agencies.”
The law states the advisory council will expire on Jan. 1, 2025, so this will not be a permanent working group unless other legislation is introduced next session to further this focused effort on AI.
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