AUSTIN (KXAN) — The hottest topic discussed at this year’s South by Southwest had to be the growing implications and potential uses of artificial intelligence. This comes at a time when Texas leaders will meet to potentially craft policy suggestions about how the state can utilize AI and create safeguards ahead of next year’s regular legislative session.
House Bill 2060, which the governor signed in to law last year, created the Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council for the state. The legislation’s author, Texas Rep. Giovanni Capriglione of South Lake, will serve as the council’s co-chair after House Speaker Dade Phelan named him to the role. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick named Texas Sen. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound, as the other co-chair.
Gov. Greg Abbott appointed another four people to serve on the council. That included two Austinites: cybersecurity expert Dean Teffer and attorney John Bash. The others are Mark Stone, the chief information officer at Texas A&M University, and Angela Wilkins, the executive director of the Ken Kennedy Institute at Rice University.
The clock is on already for the work this team is tasked with doing. They have until Dec. 1 to meet and craft a report for the state legislature that looks into a number of things, including how state agencies are using automated systems, assessing whether a state code of ethics about AI is needed as well as putting forward policy recommendations. The timing of that is important since it comes after the November general election and ahead of the start of the next session in January.
Texas agencies also have a role to play in this work. They have until July 1 to turn in what the law states are automated decision systems inventory reports. These will detail “all automated decision systems that are being developed, employed, or procured by the agency,” according to the law.
The AI advisory council will review these inventory reports from the state agencies and summarize the findings for state lawmakers.
The law states the advisory council will expire on Jan. 1, 2025, so this will not be a permanent working group unless other legislation is introduced next session to further this focused effort on AI.