Oregon

Nik Blosser, whose resume includes federal and private-sector roles, will take the helm on privacy issues and artificial intelligence planning. He also serves as chair of one of Oregon’s oldest family-owned wineries.

Elyse Rosenberg, a longtime executive, has been named the city’s next chief information officer. Having served as interim CIO for most of the year, she now officially steps in for Jeff Baer, who retired in April.

AI courses in San Jose are helping city employees save thousands of work hours, improving efficiencies and service for residents, while a new Oregon program is familiarizing state workers with generative AI.

Kathryn Darnall Helms served as chief data officer for six years, during which time she helped establish Oregon's first data strategy. The state is beginning a search for her replacement.

After proposed legislation failed to pass a senate committee, an executive order made Oregon the latest state to restrict student use of cellphones during the school day, requiring districts to write their own policies.

AI has the ability to impact numerous areas of the public sector, from government to education, tech officials said during the yearly Link Oregon meeting. They are preparing for its possibilities and challenges alike.

If signed by the governor, the bill would require utilities to use so-called grid-enhancing tech to make transmission lines more efficient and boost their capacity, and offer real-time data.

The state Department of Environmental Quality is probing a cyber attack nearly a month ago. An outside contractor is assisting in a digital forensic investigation; its exact timeline is not yet clear.

Money from the Oregon CHIPS Act, a package of legislation from 2023, will help Oregon colleges and universities hire artificial intelligence faculty and technical experts.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has reported a cyber attack that is affecting communications and operations including vehicle inspections. Some services will be shuttered through the weekend.

Legislation headed to the state Senate floor would let police statewide use drones to respond to 911 calls in progress, at crash scenes ahead of arriving officers and to chase fleeing suspects.

The Oregon House of Representatives will vote on a bill to restrict K-12 students from using cellphones between the first and last bells of the school day and spells out consequences for those who violate the rules.

State lawmakers are considering a bill that would empower energy regulators to make sure homes and small businesses aren’t burdened with those financial obligations. It would create a new class of utility customer.

A pilot project to introduce a shared electric scooter program in Eugene, Ore., eased the devices into the community, with considerable public outreach to address concerns around parking and cluttered sidewalks.

The Oregon State Government Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council, which was established by a 2023 executive order, has just released an action plan to guide government use of the technology.

Oregon’s new version of federally mandated report cards on schools and district performance includes online data visualizations, but not the ability to compare the average student’s growth across multiple years.

Plus, Oregon announces more than $100 million in funding for broadband, more states have been awarded federal funding, a new report aims to support nonprofit organizations in their digital equity work, and more.

Transit providers in rural areas are experimenting with data-sharing technology to improve services, by introducing modern features like trip planning to form more coordinated, regionwide systems. One system is already seeing results.