Nearly 25% of Alabama agencies using generative AI, report found
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey shared the state’s artificial intelligence task force final report on Tuesday, revealing that nearly 25% of agencies are using it.
The task force’s 41-page report included an inventory of AI uses, and found that of the state’s 139 state agencies, 35 agencies reported using 108 different generative tools from 72 different vendors.
The nearly 25% of state agencies that reported using generative AI said they were deploying it for a variety of use cases, including text generation, language translation, software code development and complex problem-solving. The report stated, however, that this inventory might not paint the entire picture of how agencies are using the tech on the day-to-day.
“The reason for this is because vendors and providers have begun to integrate GenAI into their existing products and services in ways that a typical user might not immediately notice,” the report reads. “Training and education will continue to be vitally important as GenAI becomes more commonplace and widely used.”
The task force, which was was created by Ivey via executive order in February 2024, was charged understanding how state agencies are currently using generative AI, encouraging the responsible and effective use of the technology and recommending policies and procedures for future use of the tech across the state’s executive branch.
In addition to examining state agencies’ existing uses of generative AI in state agencies, the task force also issued 10 recommendations. These included the adoption of the AI Risk Management Framework from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the creation of new state board to oversee the development and use of generative AI across state agencies.
The task force also developed unique generative AI policies and governance, frameworks for data management, ownership, the responsible and ethical use and models for AI workforce education and training.
To develop the report, which was officially submitted to the governor’s office in November, the task force held four official meetings and twenty working group meetings in 2024. The task force was chaired by state Chief Information Officer Daniel Urquhart and comprised of additional Cabinet officials, state legislators and higher education representatives, a news release said.
“I want to thank Governor Ivey for the opportunity to serve as Chair of this task force, which provided a platform to collaborate with our state legislature, higher education and IT leadership to examine and explore the potential risks and benefits of this revolutionary technology for the executive branch,” Urquhart said in the news release. “On behalf of the GenAI Task Force, I am pleased to present this report aimed at helping to educate, facilitate, and provide strategic recommendations for the effectual and ethical implementation of GenAI for the state of Alabama.”
Ivey on Wednesday also banned the use of the Chinese generative AI app Deepseek on state-owned mobile devices and computers. Alabama joins other states, including Nebraska, New York, North Carolina and Texas, that have issued similar prohibitions against the generative AI platform and other Chinese software and services on the basis of national security concerns.
