On February 8, 2024, Governor Kay Ivey issued Executive Order 738 to establish a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Task Force.

The purpose of the GenAI Task Force is to understand current uses of GenAI in state executive-branch agencies, encourage the responsible and effective use of GenAI in executive-branch agencies, and recommend policies and procedures related to the use of GenAI in state executive-branch agencies going forward. The Task Force will also submit a Final Report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor by November 30, 2024.

The Governor appointed the Office of Information Technology (OIT) Secretary Daniel Urquhart as Chair of the GenAI Task Force. Other members of the Task Force include cabinet members, members of the Alabama State Legislature, and representatives from higher education institutions around the State.

GenAI is defined as artificial intelligence that is capable of generating new content (such as images or text) in response to a submitted prompt (such as a query) by learning from a large reference database of examples. Examples of GenAI include large language models, image generators, AI music/code composition tools, and open domain chatbots that can engage in freeform conversation and generate contextual responses.

In Governor Ivey’s State of the State address, she said, “GenAI has the potential to catalyze innovation and the rapid development of a wide range of benefits for Alabamians, but must be deployed carefully to mitigate and guard against a new generation of risks.”