ALBANY – The Public Staff Federation (PEF) convened a summit on the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in the state workforce on July 10, bringing collectively high officers in the state Workplace of Data Know-how Providers (OITS), legislators, and union leaders.
“Artificial intelligence is right here to remain, and we should evolve as a state workforce to verify its use is clear, devoid of unintended bias, and finest serves the wants of the public we serve,” stated PEF President Wayne Spence.
PEF introduced collectively a various group of stakeholders to debate the future of AI because it intersects with the State workforce.
“IT professionals have all heard the saying, ‘Rubbish in, rubbish out.’” stated PEF Statewide IT Committee Chair Radhakrishna Mohan, who organized the “PEF IT Summit on AI” along with Christopher Ford, who leads the PEF division that represents OITS staff throughout New York. “It’s crucial that we all know what information is being fed to AI, that we all know what algorithms are getting used, and that we demand the continued want for human oversight of AI programs.”
Attendees included NYS Division of Civil Service Commissioner Timothy R. Hogues, OITS Chief Data Officer Dru Rai; OITS Deputy Chief Knowledge Officer Christopher O’Connor; State Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, chair of the Senate Web and Know-how Committee; State Sen. Robert Jackson, chair of the Senate Civil Service and Pensions Committee; and State Assemblymember Alex Bores, member of the Meeting Know-how Committee.
“AI has wildly divergent potential outcomes; we’ll all be higher off if the individuals doing the work are instantly concerned in shaping its regulation and implementation,” stated State Assemblymember Alex Bores. “PEF members have a wealth of expertise and essential context that helps New York authorities get issues carried out. I thank them for pulling us all collectively and internet hosting this essential dialogue on expertise that can influence each New Yorker.”
State Senator Kristen Gonzalez stated: “The fact of AI is that these deeply imperfect applied sciences can not substitute human judgment or creativity, and our economic system is solely not ready for the mass displacement of staff or disruption to our democracy that AI adoption may speed up. I’ll proceed to cross extra laws like the FAIR Act and LOADinG Act that can guarantee the protected and correct utilization of AI expertise and hope to have many extra of these conversations in the future.”
“In an age the place artificial intelligence redefines boundaries, let’s guarantee it extends our capacities, not limits them,” stated State Senator Robert Jackson. “As we pioneer AI integration in New York, our focus is evident: to raise, not substitute, the distinctive contributions of each state employee. Our strategy have to be proactive—driving innovation and implementing insurance policies that empower our workforce, making certain alternatives for all. AI ought to amplify, not mute, the dynamic human spirit that drives our state ahead.”
###
Media pursuing tales about the use of AI by State authorities ought to contact PEF Communications Director Rob Merrill at rmerrill@pef.org or (518) 785-1900, ext. 274 with interviews requests. PEF as a union is at the forefront of the situation and our members have “arms on keyboards” doing the precise work.