Key Takeaways:
- California is launching the California Innovation Council to advance responsible AI development and strengthen technology policy.
- The council will tackle issues such as empowering workers, countering tech fraud, and protecting children online.
- The state is introducing a new AI tool, Poppy, to make state employees’ jobs easier and improve government services.
- New partnerships and fellowships are being launched to modernize government services and build a pipeline of leaders in public sector responsible AI adoption.
- California is balancing its work to advance AI with commonsense laws to protect the public and embracing technology to make lives easier and government more efficient.
Introduction to California’s Tech Industry
California is the fourth-largest economy in the world and the birthplace of the tech industry. The state is home to the nation’s largest-valued tech companies, the most successful pre-seed startups, and 33 of the top 50 privately held AI companies around the globe. With its unique position, California is poised to benefit from the brightest minds in tech policy worldwide to advance its work. Governor Newsom has announced the launch of the California Innovation Council, which will leverage the collective knowledge of top tech policy experts to develop and strengthen the state’s technology policy.
The California Innovation Council
The California Innovation Council will tackle issues ranging from empowering workers to countering tech fraud to protecting children online. The council includes participants such as former U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI, UC Office of the President and UC Berkeley, Mozilla Foundation, the Brookings Institute, the California Chamber of Commerce, and more. The council’s mission is to prove that innovation and imagination can occur without exploitation. The Mozilla Foundation’s Executive Director, Nabiha Syed, stated that the council embodies the principles of responsible AI adoption at the scale and moment it’s needed most.
Working Groups and Partnerships
The council has broken off into four working groups: Protecting Child Online Safety and Countering Image-Based Abuse, Countering Tech Fraud, Modernizing Government Service Delivery, and Technology, Economic Development, and Workforce. These working groups will work together to design, develop, deploy, and evaluate products that modernize government service delivery. The state is also launching a new Emerging Technology Accelerator, creating formal partnerships between the state and top tech organizations to advance AI development and adoption.
Introducing Poppy AI
Governor Newsom has recognized AI’s role in advancing and improving government services. To help meet the Governor’s directive, the California Department of Technology has launched a new AI tool, Poppy. Poppy is built on GenAI large language models and is specifically tailored for state government use, with over 20 state departments already involved in its development and testing. Poppy provides additional security through the state’s network and includes pre-built, easy-to-use queries tailored to common state business needs, facilitating more reliable, trustworthy outcomes.
New AI Trainings and Fellowships
In response to the Governor’s Executive Order, the California Department of Human Resources, Office of Data and Innovation, and Department of Technology have developed over 20 trainings on AI for state employees. The state is also collaborating with top universities to offer trainings on GenAI adoption, ethics, and governance. To further strengthen the state’s AI capacity and build a pipeline of leaders in public sector responsible AI adoption, the California Department of Technology has launched new emerging technology fellowship programs with top universities.
California’s Leadership in Tech
California works closely to foster tech leadership and create an environment where industry and talent thrive. The state is home to the most tech companies in the nation and is balancing its work to advance AI with commonsense laws to protect the public. California currently has laws that help protect child online safety, counter tech fraud, and promote responsible AI adoption. The state’s efforts to advance AI development and adoption are aimed at making lives easier and government more efficient, effective, and transparent.