Governor Greg Abbott appointed members to Texas’ Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. This council stems from Rep. Giovanni Capriglione’s House Bill 2060, which tasks this group of experts with taking inventory of state agency use of AI and determining the need for a code of ethics for AI systems used in state government.
The members include John Bash, Mark Stone, Ph.D., Dean Teffer, Ph.D., and Angela Wilkins, Ph.D. Additionally, Speaker Dade Phelan appointed Representative Giovanni Capriglione from the House as co-chair, and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick appointed Senator Tan Parker from the Senate as co-chair.
“For years, state agencies in Texas have been employing artificial intelligence, making decisions that directly affect taxpayers without transparency or knowledge as to when and how this is happening,” said David Dunmoyer, campaign director for Better Tech for Tomorrow. “The creation of this council will realize the vision of HB 2060 to ensure transparency and human dignity are animating the adoption and use of AI in Texas.”
“It is incredibly important to shine a light on how AI is used across government—in law enforcement, finance, HR, IT, to provide services, and more,” said Zach Whiting, policy director for Better Tech for Tomorrow. “We look forward to engaging with the advisory council and stakeholders to find meaningful policy solutions for the responsible use of AI in state government.”