By Megan Sayles
AFRO Business Writer
msayles@afro.com

As more industries leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to increase productivity and efficiency, local government has its own plans to harness the technology. Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott issued an executive order in March to regulate the use and development of AI within city operations. 

The announcement came just over two months after Governor Wes Moore issued his own executive order to guarantee the responsible and productive use of the technology. 

Both directives seek to modernize outdated government processes while ensuring AI is wielded equitably. 

“City government has routinely played catch-up in terms of technology, but this administration is trying to change that. We know that artificial intelligence is moving incredibly fast, presenting both unprecedented challenges and opportunities for city services,” said Mayor Brandon M. Scott in a statement. “We must proceed with caution and the utmost responsibility to ensure the best interests of Baltimore’s residents are centered as the use of AI becomes increasingly common.” 

Scott’s executive order will create an advisory group to govern AI implementation and compliance. It will also restrict AI technologies that have the ability to fake or mimic people’s appearances or voices. 

Moore’s order establishes a dedicated AI subcabinet that will devise an action plan for implementing the technology across state agencies and coordinate the responsible and ethical use of AI.

“I want Maryland to be the leader in AI and AI technology. We have the resources here. We have the assets here that can help to foster it,” Moore told the AFRO. 

The action plan will be rooted in Maryland’s AI principles, which include fairness and equity, innovation, privacy, security, validity and transparency. It will create a strategy to ingrain risk assessments for AI tools in state processes and track the tools to confirm they reflect the state’s principles. 

“I also know that we have to do it responsibly because this is a powerful technology, and it’s one that is here and growing. It’s important that we put the right guardrails around what that growth looks like so that it will be additive to our societal growth and not something that takes away from it,” he added. 

One priority for the AI subcabinet will be to ensure the state has the requisite workforce for the implementation of AI. The group is tasked with offering training programs to state workers on generative AI and examining strategies for providing opportunities to external AI talent to serve the state on targeted, short-term projects. 

John Foster is the chief impact officer of Fearless, a Baltimore digital services integrator that serves government, healthcare organizations, nonprofits and educational institutions. (Photo courtesy of Fearless )

John Foster, chief impact officer for Fearless, thinks Moore’s service year and apprenticeship program will be able to help in building this pipeline. 

Last October, the governor launched the Service Year Option, a public service program for high school graduates to learn hard and soft skills through a service placement while earning money. In November, he announced a $3-million initiative to bolster the growth of registered apprenticeships in Maryland’s public sector. 

“If we know there’s a need for highly skilled digital technicians inside the government, we need to think about incentive structures that exist to make it so that individuals want to work inside the government or with industry partners,” said Foster. 

He believes the programs could be especially beneficial in state contracting. 

“One idea that I have is ensuring that the procurements that the government pushes out have mandates that require bidders to partake in the Service Year Option or apprenticeship program,” said Foster. 

He said this could encourage the technology industry to invest in systems that create new talent who can meet the needs of the government as it works to modernize operations. If the necessary talent pool is not created, Foster said Marylanders will face lackluster government services. 

“I think we will continue to see subpar services being provided to constituents. The end result is that government has to increase its delivery in a way that is not optimized,” said Foster. “That’s how services degrade overtime.” 

Bianca Jackson is the founder of Brickrose Exchange, a Baltimore tech start-up that offers artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality workshops. (Photo courtesy of Bianca Jackson)

Innovation design consultant Bianca Jackson said AI could be used to automate government certain services and remove bias in systems. 

“Racial equity can be enhanced by AI systems designed to eliminate bias, bias in state employment, housing, law enforcement and decision making,” said Jackson. 

In light of the Francis Scott Key Bridge disaster, Jackson said the government could have used AI-powered tools in its response. 

“It could be used for automating evacuation alerts and directing first responders more efficiently, optimizing rescue operations,” said Jackson. 

She commended Moore and Scott’s efforts to lean in on AI rather than reject it. As they lead by example, Jackson believes individuals will become more comfortable with AI. 

“If they hadn’t taken this stance, they would have missed an opportunity to reduce the digital divide between the tech rich and the tech poor,” said Jackson. “We still have people around the country who are fighting this, and it’s already here. The best thing we can do is figure out how we can get AI tools to work for us and create better outcomes for society.” 

Megan Sayles is a Report for America corps member. 

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