MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – The Scott administration is rolling out new artificial intelligence tools to identify vulnerabilities in state IT infrastructure, but legislative watchdogs say they were left in the dark about the state’s contract with an AI vendor.
Vermont is one of about 25 states using software from Anthropic aimed at improving government cybersecurity.
Lawmakers tasked with IT oversight say they are dismayed they were not informed about the state’s agreement, only learning about it at a government technology summit earlier this summer.
“The more powerful the technology, the more important it is we understand who authorized its use, what authority they relied on, what we agreed to, what the technology can access, what protections are in place, and who is accountable,” said Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-Dover.
The Scott administration contends the AI tools are safe and will benefit the state.
The debate comes as public and private sectors nationally grapple with the emerging technology, its safety, and who should provide oversight.
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