One of the many items on the agenda for upcoming Texas legislative session: what should lawmakers do with A.I.? And more specifically, can Texas lead the way in A.I. policy?
"I think that this law in Texas could be the model for other states to follow" said Zach Whiting, policy director with the Texas Public Policy Foundation, "And I do think that come the end of session, Texas will have the best A.I. bill passed into law, and hopefully other states will see that."
We've already seen a bad example, courtesy of the state of California.
That is why the TPPF recently hosted a discussion and conversation about the future of A.I., not only for the government, but also the private sector.
"How it's used at the state level, and how it's used in the private sector application, those will be big debates coming up this session" Whiting told KTRH.
He notes that they spent months looking at A.I. policy, and how to make it work as tool, but also with human transparency and accountability. And now it's time for Texas to lead the way, as opposed to waiting for Washington.
"Seeing Texas be a leader in research and development and innovation, but also making sure that we are always protecting humanity, human dignity and privacy, which have been a cornerstone I think of Texas technology policy over the last few years" noted Whiting.
The 89th Texas legislative session is set to begin on January 14th, in Austin.