WILSONVILLE, Ore. — Technology leaders in Oregon are bullish on the possibilities AI can bring to the state’s government IT posture, and its education and economic development opportunities. But, they admit, this sizable technology advancement has also opened a Pandora’s box of concerns.
“I get excited first, waking up in the morning and seeing all the possibilities,” Jimmy Godard, Oregon state chief technology officer, said Thursday during the annual meeting for Link Oregon. “There’s so many great things on the horizon. And I believe the artificial intelligence ecosystem is one area you cannot ignore. Because it is here. It will happen.”
“And yes, it keeps me awake at night, in terms of what could happen,” the CTO, whose office resides within Oregon Enterprise Information Services, told roughly 150 tech professionals from around the state. Link Oregon is a nonprofit providing high-speed broadband to other state nonprofits and public-sector members.
It’s not so much the change AI is likely to bring to virtually all levels of life in the coming months and years, it’s the velocity of this change that concerns people like Skip Newberry, president and CEO of the Technology Association of Oregon. He reflected on the ability of societal systems — including education, workforce, government and legal — “to effectively keep pace with that change,” during a panel discussion with Godard.
The rate of AI development is moving much faster than the Internet evolved 25 to 30 years ago, Newberry said, “with far more money involved. And also, a very large existential threat perceived, and otherwise.”
Some of those threats come from nation-states like China, a world leader in AI.
“There’s a lot of external factors that are driving this train. And I’m concerned, again, about the speed in which it’s going, and how quickly our systems can adjust,” Newberry said.
Then again, AI has the ability to cut both ways.
“It has the potential to democratize and change some status quo systems that haven’t been serving a lot of folks all that well,” Newberry said.
Government organizations at every level have been moving forward toward adopting, regulating or at least considering AI policies and tools that include the technology. The GovAI Coalition includes more than 1,700 professionals from about 550 government organizations. The group has been at the forefront of policy conversations to examine use cases, risks and concerns related to new AI technologies.
“It is really trying to see all the touch-points of the technology that our agencies are dealing with,” Godard said, outlining part of what guides Oregon’s adoption of AI, as it considers technology modernization projects.
Some of the AI use cases Newberry said he would like to consider include using the technology to improve K-12 education, by offering more personalized instruction and support for students.
“And you can do that with AI, in terms of where things are headed. And so, I think that’s an opportunity for us,” Newberry said.
Oregon’s future as a technology leader will be predicated, in part, on improved educational outcomes, he added.
“That’s potentially the biggest issue that’s holding us back right now. We’re not doing well in terms of reading, math and science outcomes at the K-12 level. And it’s even worse for STEM,” said Newberry, outlining the state’s educational weaknesses, which could impact Oregon’s ability to be a technology leader.
