The committee was first announced in November, to help the state responsibly govern and implement artificial intelligence tools. Many states have established some type of AI council, task force or working group to guide their progress, as state-level legislation is the primary form of AI governance in the U.S. — although the future of states’ abilities to enforce AI regulations is uncertain.
The committee is charged with several key tasks: developing a statewide AI policy framework, recommending governance models and procurement guidelines across agencies, communicating with residents and stakeholders to ensure inclusive AI implementations, and finding opportunities to build AI literacy and workforce readiness.
Members held their first meeting earlier this month, and their initial recommendations are expected to be released by spring 2026.
Arizona’s AI Steering Committee is intended to represent government, academia, industry and civil society, bringing together cross-sector expertise. Nineteen committee members have been appointed.
From the state of Arizona, CIO J.R. Sloan and Department of Administration Chief Data and Analytics Officer Josh Wagner will serve, as will state CISO Ryan Murray, and Arizona Commerce Authority CEO Sandra Watson. From the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, Rob McCright, section chief counsel for the Liability Management Section, will serve.
Local governments will be represented by the city of Scottsdale’s CIO Bianca Lochner, and by Amanda Markham, administrator of innovative initiatives for the Office of the Chief at Phoenix Police Department.
From education, Agua Fria Union High School District’s Executive Director of Technology Lauren Owens will represent K-12 schools. Several Arizona State University (ASU) staffers will serve: Diana Bowman, associate dean for applied research and partnerships at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law; and clinical professor Greg Dawson of the W. P. Carey School of Business’ School of Accountancy. ASU’s Deputy CIO Kyle Bowen and Bill Gates, director of its Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory, will serve, as will Chris Richardson, former ASU deputy CIO. So will Steven Burrell, CIO of Northern Arizona University, and University of Arizona’s interim CIO Elliott Cheu.
Other members include DS Innovation CEO Loretta Cheeks, Savvas Learning Company Chief Privacy Officer Ryan Johnson, AZ Collab founder Melissa Armas, and Arizona Technology Council CEO Steven G. Zylstra.
“This committee will ensure that AI is implemented in a way that expands opportunity, strengthens public trust and delivers better outcomes for every Arizonan,” Hobbs said in a statement.
