The board starts work as questions loom about how quickly AI might scale in the public sector as fears of a bubble persist.
According to a statement from Ivey, the board will “ensure the responsible, secure and effective deployment of emerging technologies across Alabama executive branch agencies.”
The origins of the board stretch back to May 2025 when Ivey signed a law to give the state’s Office of Information Technology oversight of cybersecurity and to create a board to “guide the adoption of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,” according to the statement.
Before that, a governor’s task force for generative AI recommended that a centralized group guide the use of that technology in state government.
“The TQAB is a critical step forward in ensuring Alabama’s use of technology is not only innovative, but also secure, ethical and aligned with the public interest,” Ivey said in the statement. “This board will help us evaluate new tools through a lens of cybersecurity, privacy and operational excellence.”
These state agencies will have representatives on the new board:
• Alabama Office of Information Technology
• Alabama Department of Finance
• Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
• Alabama Department of Education
• Alabama Medicaid Agency
• Alabama Department of Revenue
• Alabama Department of Transportation
The agencies will review fresh tech and craft standards to make sure that “innovation is implemented in a way that protects citizen data and enhances government services,” according to the statement.
“Through the TQAB, Alabama is building a smarter, safer and more accountable digital future,” Ivey said.
Alabama’s move stands as the latest example of states and other larger governments setting standards around AI and building a bureaucracy around that emerging technology.
Earlier this month, for instance, Washington, D.C., said it would require AI training for government employees and the contractors who work with them. Last month, Missouri’s governor ordered the creation of an AI strategic framework.
