At the NASCIO Midyear Conference, CIOs described their use of AI sandboxes as a way for state agencies to experiment with AI. Georgia, for example, uses an innovation lab for state agencies to try AI and “fail fast, if need be,” explains the state’s Chief Digital and AI Officer Nikhil Deshpand. Massachusetts’ CIO Jason Snyder, according to Government Technology on May 3, describes a sandbox in his state that involves university students using AI to improve paratransit services.
The Federation of State Medical Boards released a statement on the responsible use of AI by healthcare providers. Navigating the Responsible and Ethical Incorporation of Artificial Intelligence into Clinical Practice, adopted April 2024, acknowledges the benefits of AI—and the responsibility of state medical boards to manage the use of AI. The reports states that, “by taking a proactive and standardized governance approach anchored in ethical principles, state medical boards can promote safe and effective integration of AI, in its various forms, while prioritizing patient wellbeing.”
A Minnesota bill aims to address the shortage of mental health workers in the state. A trio of provisions in the bill aim to address the shortage, focusing on the scope of practice and licensing for various medical professionals. The bill, for example, allows licensed marriage and family therapists from other states to apply for a guest license to practice for five consecutive months in the state, according to the Minnesota House of Representatives on April 29.