State officials are curious about how Rhode Islanders are using artificial intelligence (AI).
The Rhode Island Artificial Intelligence Task Force and Gov. Dan McKee launched a new survey Friday asking Rhode Islanders how they feel about AI and how they’re using it. The survey is open through May 9 and takes about 10 minutes to complete, but can take longer depending on the length of one’s responses to write-in questions.
“We’re positioning Rhode Island as a national leader in AI, cybersecurity, and other emerging technologies,” McKee said in a statement. “Our goal is to harness the benefits of AI for our local economy while mitigating potential risks through thoughtful policy and planning. It’s important to hear from Rhode Islanders as we continue to shape the future of AI in RI.”
McKee assembled the AI Task Force in February 2024 to investigate how the Ocean State can responsibly use and build policy around the rapidly expanding and increasingly popular set of technologies colloquially referred to as AI. The rise of generative AI since 2022 has especially shaped widespread consumer and industry use of programs that can create text and images, analyze data, or perform an assortment of mundane tasks. The group includes representatives from multiple sectors including state government, tech, health care, education, business and other sectors.
The committee is chaired by former U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, who also chairs the Institute of Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies at Rhode Island College, another McKee-led project. Chris Parisi, the founder and CEO of Trailblaze Marketing in Providence, serves as the task force’s vice chair.
“The AI Task Force is hard at work to identify the most effective ways Rhode Island can harness the power of this emerging technology while minimizing the risks it brings,” Langevin said in a statement. “As we create our roadmap, we’re asking the public to offer their insights on if and how they’d like to see artificial intelligence implemented across the state, as well as to share any concerns about the future of this technology.”
The survey has five sections, from queries about respondents’ basic familiarity with AI to how people use AI in their job. Questions about on-the-job usage are tailored to the industry selected from a list, which includes government, finance, education, health care, manufacturing/trade/defense, and small businesses/nonprofits/start-ups.
Questions across the survey include “How has AI changed your job in the past 2 years?,” “What do you believe are the biggest opportunities AI brings to Rhode Island?” and “Do you believe AI should be regulated?”
A final section, “AI and the Future of Rhode Island,” invites respondents to muse on whether Rhode Island should or should not “position itself as a leader in AI.”
Respondents can include their email address to receive future updates and information about events, including those with potentially more opportunities for public feedback, from the AI task force.
This story was originally published by the Rhode Island Current.
