AI guardrails should be dynamic, evolving, says Alabama’s AI chief

Aaron Wright, who was last month named Alabama’s first chief artificial intelligence officer, is stepping into the role with a number of priorities and objectives already in sight, including ensuring that the state’s AI guardrails are dynamic, and evolve continuously.

Wright, the state’s former director of application development who was tapped to helm the state’s AI efforts from the newly created CAIO role housed within the Alabama Office of Information Technology late last month, said that because AI is an “evolving space,” his goals and how the state thinks about the tech will also likely evolve. Wright, who co-led a working group under the Alabama Governor’s generative AI task force in his previous role, said those goals also include helping to ensure the state uses AI efficiently, responsibly and transparently.

“My first year will be focused on building a strong, collaborative foundation for AI across state government,” Wright wrote in an email interview. “That includes expanding workforce  education opportunities and advancing a statewide AI learning platform, continuing to enable the use of vetted and approved AI tools, and working closely with agencies to identify and scale high-value use cases.”

These priorities were also tasks assigned to the state’s generative AI task force, which was created by Gov. Kay Ivey via executive order in 2024. The group was tasked with submitting to the governor a report on responsible AI use. It included recommendations that informed the creation of the state’s two guiding policy documents for AI: the Alabama generative AI acceptable use policy and the artificial intelligence governance policy. Wright said they “emphasize secure, approved tools, responsible data handling, and clear boundaries around appropriate use.”

Wright also co-led the task force’s data management and ownership working group, which developed recommendations for the data-handling portions of the documents. He said that while consistent data policies, and their enforcement, are important to ensuring AI works well, they must change.

“Rather than viewing guardrails as static, we see them as something that must continuously mature alongside the technology,” he said. “Ongoing evaluation, agency feedback, and alignment with best practices will be critical to ensuring they remain effective.”

Those best practices — which Wright said will be offered up to the state’s employees soon via new learning platform with self-paced resources, guided training, platform-specific courses and opportunities for collaboration — also include building transparency and trust with the public, tasks he called “foundational.” Wright said that cultivating that confidence from the public in how the state is using AI starts with being transparent about how the tech is being used, being accountable to how it’s deployed and demonstrating that it’s is being used “thoughtfully, with appropriate safeguards, and in ways that deliver real value to citizens.”

“The Governor’s Generative AI Task Force emphasized the importance of transparency, including clear communication, documentation of AI use cases, and ensuring there are mechanisms for human oversight where appropriate,” he wrote. “We’re aligning with those principles by promoting consistent practices around disclosure, governance, and responsible implementation.”

For Wright, successful use and deployment of AI in Alabama will be defined by more than following protocol. Along with “operating with a true ‘one team’ mindset,” he said, success will also look like increased collaboration between agencies and delivering improvements in service, efficiency and accessibility for residents.

“Success in the public sector goes beyond traditional ROI. We’re focused on outcomes like improved service delivery, reduced wait times, increased efficiency, and better user experiences for both employees and citizens,” he continued. “As we continue to mature our approach, we’re looking at ways to more consistently evaluate impact — whether that’s time saved, process improvements, or the ability  to scale services more effectively. The goal is to ensure that AI initiatives are practical, deliver real value, and align with the needs of agencies and the people they serve, while continuing to refine how we measure that impact over time.”