Indiana recently introduced an AI policy which mandates the completion of a maturity assessment for the majority of AI projects prior to their execution. Developed by the Office of the Indiana Chief Data Officer, Josh Martin, the policy seeks to strike a balance between leveraging AI benefits and addressing data, ethical, and cybersecurity concerns.

What does the new AI policy entail?

Chief Privacy Officer Ted Cotterill reportedly said that the main objective is to establish a framework promoting responsible and ethical AI usage, allowing agencies to innovate while managing associated risks.

Cotterill, also the general counsel for Indiana’s Management Performance Hub, emphasizes the state’s commitment to innovation in administration and highlights the potential for data-driven applications of AI in areas such as automation, efficiency, and personalized customer experiences. 

The pre-deployment assessment aligns with the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Artificial Intelligence Risk Management Framework, encompassing 72 subcategories. 

The goal is to encourage development teams to adhere to the NIST framework during planning and design, ultimately leading to the adoption of human-centric AI-enabled IT rather than a chaotic approach.

Additionally, the policy mandates a “just-in-time” notice, in line with the Indiana Fair Information Practices Act, to be sent to users interacting with AI systems, informing users about how their data is being used by AI.

Notably, Cotterill had previously collaborated with a state agency, the Department of Workforce Development, to create an AI-enhanced tool called Uplink. The tool, already in service, provides career recommendations based on user data and incorporates a “just-in-time” notice allowing users to opt in or out.

“We worked with DWD and their vendor to train a model on workforce data and education data, and then separated the model from the underlying data and handed the model itself to the DWD for use in its app,” Cotterill adds, highlighting the tool’s success to a strong partnership with DWD’s Chief of Staff Josh Richardson and CIO Chris Henderson. 

Cotterill acknowledges that the statewide policy is a dynamic initiative allowing for exceptions and anticipates updates as the AI landscape in government evolves.

He emphasizes the collaborative development of a forthcoming complementary AI policy by the Indiana Office of Technology, designed to capture the entire spectrum of AI applications in state government. Overall, the aim is to facilitate responsible AI adoption while ensuring ongoing adaptability to emerging developments in the field.