3 takeaways from Maryland’s digital services update to update Maryland’s digital services

On Monday, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore held a press conference with the state’s Secretary of Information Technology Katie Savage and other dignitaries to unveil four digital transformation initiatives for the state.

These plans include an executive order on AI, the establishment of Maryland’s inaugural digital service team, the introduction of a digital accessibility policy and the formation of a cybersecurity partnership with the Maryland National Guard.

The world is moving fast – and if we don’t keep up, we will fall behind.

That’s why our first order of business in 2024 is to outfit the state government with the tools to lead – now, and into the future. pic.twitter.com/wrgYqYGN46

— Governor Wes Moore (@GovWesMoore) January 8, 2024

Here are some key points to note about these new developments:

Fairness and equity

Fairness and equity, alongside five other principles, form the foundation of AI use within Maryland state agencies under the Moore-Miller administration, according to the newly signed executive order on AI. These principles also include innovation; privacy; safety, security and resiliency; validity and reliability; and transparency, accountability and explainability.

Considerations such as diversity in AI development may be worthwhile for Maryland state agencies, especially in light of the order stating that “AI systems can perpetuate harmful biases.” The following directive was extracted from the aforelinked executive order:

“The State’s use of AI must take into account the fact that AI systems can perpetuate harmful biases, and take steps to mitigate those risks, in order to avoid discrimination or disparate impact to individuals or communities based on their race, color, ethnicity, sex, religion, age, ancestry or national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other classification protected by law.”

Read the full executive order

Although the mentioned classifications are legally protected, technologies like facial recognition have been employed for suspect profiling in ways challenged as violating rights. This is indicative of how other AI-dependent technologies also pose their own set of challenges.

It’s a team effort

“The beauty of today is the fact that this is a team effort,” said Gov. Moore.

The governor referenced multiple state delegates and a senator during the conference to thank them for their “leadership” and involvement in the multi-pronged digital services update for the state. That update goes beyond the executive order on AI and might even be supported by Biden’s AI executive order.

“Today’s announcement is about much more than just an executive order,” he said. “In my first State of the State address, I said that we would rebuild state government. In our first year, we learned that it isn’t enough to rebuild state government. We actually need to modernize state governments because there is a harsh truth: The world is moving fast. And if we don’t keep up, we’re gonna fall behind.”

Moore gave the example of how even his iPhone prompts him about updates “every eight weeks.” He pointed out that the state had not upgraded the way the government works in the past eight years.

“How can we win the next decade if the tools that we have to win the decade are the tools from last decade?” he said. “How can we rise above our competitors if we operate below what’s actually expected to get the work done? We cannot afford to be stuck with a system that is 10 years out of date. Our constituents deserve better. Our constituents deserve a government that has the tools to be able to lead with efficacy. So today, the State of Maryland is getting a software update.”

Updates take time

Referring back to Moore’s iPhone update analogy, depending on your connection speed and the last time you updated, Apple’s updates could take hours. When we apply this perspective to state government, considering the existing infrastructure and the time elapsed since the last updates, the entire process could span several years.

“We will not wait for technology to evolve only to find ourselves flat-footed against the challenges of tomorrow,” said Gov. Moore, who noted that behind the efforts to modernize was a desire to better meet Marylanders’ needs. “We will take action and we will take action together, and that’s what we’re doing today. That’s what we’ll continue to do in the weeks and the months and the years ahead.”

Gov. Moore pointed out that each initiative represents a “step” in integrating AI into state government, a sentiment echoed by Secretary Savage.

“These four initiatives reinforce each other, bringing together a combination of new talent and new policy,” she said.

The efforts range from enhancing the user experience on state websites to ensuring accessibility for all, including those with disabilities, to bolstering cybersecurity assets across the public sector. While each initiative is new, they are deemed necessary to foster an environment for innovation while being mindful of the civil rights of Marylanders as AI technologies continue to develop and evolve.

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