Josh Stein put out an executive order establishing a council of 24 folks to look at Artificial Intelligence literacy, governance and deployment in North Carolina.
The order also includes setting up an “AI Accelerator” in the N.C. Department of Information Technology and “AI Oversight Teams” in each state agency. Chairing the council will be Secretary of Information Technology Teena Piccione and Secretary of Commerce Lee Lilley.
“AI has the potential to transform how we work and live, carrying with it both extraordinary opportunities and real risks,” Stein said in a release. “Our state will be stronger if we are equipped to take on these challenges responsibly. I am looking forward to this council helping our state effectively deploy AI to enhance government operations, drive economic growth, and improve North Carolinians’ lives.”
Stein noted that the state is home to some large AI projects, including Amazon’s $10 billion data center campus in Richmond County, and the multibillion dollar Fujifilm Diosynth plant in Holly Springs, which has been called North America’s largest end-to-end biomanufacturing facility. AI is expected to affect virtually every industry, and put major pressure on energy providers because of the demand for more electricity.
The 24-person council has four N.C. lawmakers, including Republicans Todd Johnson, a senator from Union County, and Jake Johnson, a representative from Cabarrus County. The Democratic Party is represented by DeAndrea Salvador, a senator from Charlotte, and Zach Hawkins, a representative from Durham.
Industry reps include former Business North Carolina cover story subject Igor Jablokov of Pryon, along with executives from SAS Institute, IBM, and the former research director at Meta. There are lots of other key state officials taking part.
Stein’s release noted that the state is already deploying AI to identify unnecessary or overly burdensome regulations and to provide user-friendly AI agents to help North Carolinians navigate state services.
For 40 years, sharing the stories of North Carolina's dynamic business community.