Virginia’s governor announces members of AI task force

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday announced the members of the state’s inaugural artificial intelligence task force.

The new task force was formed by an executive order Youngkin signed in January that also called for the creation of AI policy standards, IT standards and education guidelines for AI use in the commonwealth.

The task force will meet at least twice per year, and offer input to the executive and legislative branches on the standards, policies and any AI pilot programs conducted by Virginia’s executive branch agencies. It’s comprised of 10 volunteer AI experts in Virginia who work at educational institutions, nonprofits and private companies in the state, according to a news release.

Members include the John Bailey, founder of the financial consultancy Vestigo Partners; Bill Cleveland, the former vice mayor of Alexandria, Virginia; senior executives at the technology nonprofit Foundation for American Innovation; and professors from George Mason University and Virginia Tech, among others.

The task force will also give advice to state agencies that wish to use AI to enhance their operations, such as input on potential or existing use cases while also ensuring they are cost-effective.

In addition to input on the state’s standards and agency AI use, the volunteer task force members will also provide advice to state legislators as they attempt to establish guardrails for responsible use, but also encourage innovation and make Virginia a leader in the AI space, the news release said.

With the task force’s formation, Virginia joins more than 30 other states that have either formed a task force to advise on AI, an advisory council or an alliance among public and private sector partners to ready states, their agencies and legislative bodies to take advantage and control over the technology.

“When I signed my artificial intelligence executive order, I was very clear that while there are amazing opportunities with AI, there are also inherent risks that we must tackle head-on. I am excited to bring together this extraordinary group of leading experts in the AI space,” Youngkin said in the news release. “Virginia’s world-class universities, companies, and military bases position it to lead the nation in the development of AI. The AI Task Force will play a critical role in ensuring that Virginia stays at the forefront of this rapidly developing industry.”