Executive Order 24-01 Artificial Intelligence Workgroup

"On January 30, 2024, Governor Jay Inslee signed Executive Order 24-01 on Artificial Intelligence to prepare the State and its workforce for the rapidly approaching artificial intelligence (AI) future. 

The Executive Order identifies the importance of the Washington State workforce to our state’s continued prosperity, as well as the need to harness the potential of generative AI in an equitable and ethical way for the benefit of our state government workforce. The Executive Order also highlights the importance of engaging with communities and stakeholders to explore strategies to promote the safe, responsible, ethical, and efficient development and use of generative AI technologies in our state. 

The order directs Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) to lead the way for the state and our cabinet agencies to conduct a comprehensive report on potential generative AI initiatives. The Office of Equity is tasked with overseeing the development, implementation, and ongoing support of an overarching framework for accountability in the fair, ethical and equitable use of generative AI by the state, including input from subject-matter experts like impacted front-line state employees.  

We are reaching out to you now because the Executive Order tasks the Office of Financial Management – State Human Resources Division, along with WaTech, and the Washington Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, to engage with organizations that represent state government employees to assess the impact of generative AI on the state workforce, develop strategies to mitigate any negative impacts, and support programs that help workers develop the skills and knowledge they need to successfully use generative AI. The deadline to report back on this assessment is December 1, 2024. Given that we will all be engaging in successor bargaining this summer, we recognize that this timeline will be challenging. Therefore, we believe that most of the work will be done through workgroups scheduled in October and November.  

Toward that end, we are asking the unions representing state employees to collaborate to identify up to three (3) members who bargain consistent with the following bargaining statutes to be members of the work group: 

General Government and Higher Education – RCW 41.80 (3 members) 

Law Enforcement – RCW 41.56 (3 members) 

Washington State Ferries – RCW 47.64 (3 members) 

Although most of the meetings will occur in October and November, we will initiate the first meetings of the team beginning in June 2024.  

Please identify the individuals you want to sit on this workgroup by May 20, 2024 by sending the names and contact information for your nominees to this workgroup to the attention of Jenny Sheehan, Senior Labor Negotiator at janetta.sheehan@ofm.wa.gov."