The Little Hoover Commission held its third in a series of public hearings on artificial intelligence (AI) on July 25, 2024, focused on best practices for AI procurement, risk mitigation, and workforce training in California state government.

Experts including Brandie Nonnecke from UC Berkeley, Tom Andriola from UC-Irvine, and Lila Tretikov from NEA testified on the importance of ongoing training for state employees to adapt to evolving socio-technical risks, the need for inclusive discussions about AI’s opportunities and risks, and leveraging AI to enhance the state’s customer service capabilities.

California state government also has the opportunity to influence the industry as it explores how to purchase and deploy artificial intelligence.

“Essentially, the way that the [state] departments and agencies are interpreting responsible AI governance is going to shape how industry builds and deploys their AI tools. The State of California has a large purchasing power. Vendors need to sell their products,” said Nonnecke.

California State Senator Ben Allen also testified at the hearing about using AI to increase enrollment in government assistance programs and the potential to streamline processes through technology.

The first hearing on AI was held on May 23 in Silicon Valley, including testimony from Amy Tong, Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency, and leaders from the tech industry, academia, and labor organizations. 

The second hearing, which took place on June 27, 2024, focused on applying AI to address food insecurity.

The Commission plans to release reports later this year on AI implementation in state operations and its potential to assist California’s vulnerable populations.

Watch the hearing below.