Examining AI Policies for State Governments: New York and Connecticut
- Zack Arnold
- Jul 18
- 5 min read
Up next in our exploration of state government AI policies are those from New York and Connecticut. An AI policy, also referred to as AI usage guidelines, helps ensure each member of an organization abides by the same code of conduct when using AI tools. This is necessary for responsible and ethical use of AI, which has great potential when utilized in such a manner.
Sedna Consulting Group specializes in cutting-edge AI solutions for the public sector, and our experts have extensive knowledge on crafting AI policies that are tailored to each of our clients. We understand the importance of effective guidelines that are adhered to by each member of an organization as AI becomes commonplace for everyday operations.
These technologies are becoming increasingly integrated into state government operations and will only continue to grow. Legislative mentions of AI rose 21.3% across 75 countries around the world since 2023, highlighting the importance of implementing proper guidelines for its development, implementation, and usage. In this article, we will discuss why AI policies are important for state governments as well as examine the AI policies for New York and Connecticut.
Why is an AI Policy Important for State Governments?
Any organization that is exploring the use of AI or has already implemented it into their operations should consider creating an AI policy. This is important when it comes to ensuring that AI is used responsibly and ethically while mitigating any harmful risks associated with unregulated use. For state governments, where millions of citizens’ data is stored and managed, AI usage guidelines become crucial.
Several risks can emerge without a clear AI policy in state governments, including:
Potential Bias: AI systems that are not developed with every population in mind can perpetuate biases, potentially causing harm to underrepresented groups. With guidelines that emphasize the importance of fairness and inclusion, bias can be mitigated.
Data Privacy and Security Risks: Without an AI policy that provides rules on data privacy and security, large amounts of data and sensitive information could be at risk for misuse. Always ensure strong guidelines on handling this type of data to protect citizens and agency members.
Lack of Transparency and Accountability: Ungoverned use of AI can result in a lack of accountability should any bias or security issues arise. Without rules on transparency, public trust can also begin to dwindle due to the ignorance of AI usage. This is why having an AI policy that emphasizes these factors is important for ethics and responsibility.
New York’s AI Policy
The state of New York has outlined several factors in their AI policy that guide responsible AI use for government agencies. Let’s take a closer look at a few of these and why they are important to include in an AI policy:
Human Oversight: This guideline emphasizes the importance of human oversight in the use of AI systems. If AI is assisting in making a decision that affects the public, it must be overseen and reviewed by staff, and a human must always have the final decision. It is also not permitted to have automated final decisions as per this policy. Human oversight is critical in any AI project, whether development, implementation, or everyday usage. Including this in an AI policy is a great choice, as there is no question whether or not humans should be in the loop for AI decision-making.
Fairness and Equity: The use of AI systems in New York state agencies must be fair and equitable, which helps mitigate the risk of bias discussed previously. This helps agency staff understand the potential of human bias within AI systems and enforces the need for strategies to prevent it from affecting the public. Fairness and equity are necessary for both ethical use of AI as well as keeping public trust alive, making it a very important addition to AI policies.
Transparency: Having this included in AI usage guidelines highlights the necessity of disclosing when AI has been used in any public-facing projects or services. This also ensures that any decision or output influenced by AI can be explained by state entities to the public. Public trust is a big factor when it comes to transparency, as citizens should not be left wondering if AI was used in a decision that affects them or if they are unknowingly using AI in any public sector services.
Risk Assessment: All AI systems must go through a risk assessment to determine all security, privacy, legal, reputational, and competency risks. This is necessary to ensure awareness of these potential challenges so that strategies can be developed to prevent them as much as possible.
Connecticut’s AI Policy
The state of Connecticut has an AI policy used to guide responsible AI usage that better serves its citizens and businesses. Here are a few of the highlights of this set of guidelines:
Purposeful: State agencies should ensure that the use of AI is done so in benefit of their core missions to best serve businesses, citizens, visitors, and state employees. Having this included in an AI policy is not common, but is very useful to encourage AI use that aligns with the goals of government agencies. AI is a powerful tool that brings great benefits when used responsibly, and should always be used with purpose.
Accuracy: This ensures that any outputs produced by AI are reviewed for accuracy, which ties in with human oversight. While these systems have a track record of producing accurate results very quickly, it is still a form of technology that can make mistakes. Always review outputs before they are presented to public-facing services.
Privacy: The use of AI should never affect the privacy rights of any citizen or business, and use of AI must comply with privacy regulations and other applicable laws. This could include training for state agency employees when it comes to what is allowed to be included in AI systems. Personally identifiable information and other sensitive data should never be utilized in public AI networks. Having privacy guidelines in any AI policy is crucial for both ethical and legal reasons.
Equity and Fairness: This is similar to New York’s policy on mitigating potential bias. Here they discuss never using AI in a way that discriminates or negatively impacts individuals or communities based on their gender, race, age, religion, disability, or sexual orientation. This policy encourages that internal AI working groups, composed of diverse stakeholders, should be established by state agencies. Having guidelines to ensure equity and fairness in the use of AI is very important when it comes to ethics and responsibility.
Both of these AI policies for the state governments of New York and Connecticut provide strong and clear guidelines for the use of AI. As these advanced technologies continue to grow and evolve, having a well-structured AI policy becomes more necessary than ever. Contact one of our AI experts today to learn more about the importance of an AI policy and how we can help create one that is tailored to your organization’s goals and values.
“Responsible AI is not just about liability — it's about ensuring what you are building is enabling human flourishing.”
– Rumman Chowdhury, Data Scientist
Sources:
Comments