Sponsored by:
Senator KRISTIN M. CORRADO
District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes NJ Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the New Jersey Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this act:
Artificial intelligence means: (1) any artificial system that performs tasks under varying and unpredictable circumstances without significant human oversight or that can learn from experience and improve performance when exposed to data sets; (2) an artificial system developed in computer software, physical hardware, or other context that solves tasks requiring human-like perception, cognition, planning, learning, communication, or physical action; (3) an artificial system designed to think or act like a human, including cognitive architectures and neural networks; (4) a set of techniques, including machine learning, that is designed to approximate a cognitive task; or (5) an artificial system designed to act rationally, including an intelligent software agent or embodied robot that achieves goals using perception, planning, reasoning, learning, communicating, decision making, and acting.
State agency means any of the principal departments in the Executive Branch of the State Government, and any division, board, bureau, office, commission, or other instrumentality within or created by such department; the Legislature of the State, and any office, board, bureau, or commission within or created by the Legislative Branch; and any independent State authority, commission, instrumentality, public benefit corporation, or agency.
b. There is established in, but not of, the Office of Information Technology the New Jersey Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council. The purpose of the council shall be to study artificial intelligence and the advantages and disadvantages of State agencies procuring, developing, and implementing artificial intelligence. The council shall make findings and recommendations based upon its study of artificial intelligence.
c. The council shall consist of seven voting members as follows:
(1) the Chief Technology Officer, or the officers designee, who shall serve ex officio;
(2) two members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, no more than one of whom shall be a member of the same political party;
(3) two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, no more than one of whom shall be a member of the same political party; and
(4) two public members appointed by the Governor who have expertise in the use or design of artificial intelligence.
d. The council shall organize as soon as practicable following the appointment of a majority of its members but no later than 60 days after the effective date of this act. Appointments to the council shall be made within 30 days after the effective date of this act. Vacancies in the membership of the council shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made. The council shall appoint a secretary who need not be a member of the council. The council shall meet at the call of the chairperson at the times and places the chairperson may deem appropriate and necessary to fulfill the councils duties.
e. The Chief Technology Officer shall serve as chairperson to the council. A recommendation of the council shall be approved upon receiving a majority vote of the full membership of the council.
f. Members of the council shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the council within the limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the council for its purposes.
g. The Office of Information Technology shall provide staff support to the council. The council shall be entitled to call to its assistance and avail itself of the services of the officials and employees of the State and its political subdivisions and their departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, and agencies as it may require and as may be available to it for the purposes of the council.
2. The council shall:
a. assess the need for a State code of ethics for artificial intelligence used by State agencies and, if needed, develop a State code of ethics for artificial intelligence, which shall include, but not be limited to, establishing algorithmic discrimination protections and maintaining data privacy;
b. identify advantages and disadvantages of State agencies procuring, developing, and implementing artificial intelligence;
c. recommend guidelines for State agencies to safely and ethically procure, develop, and implement artificial intelligence;
d. develop strategies to deliver and support artificial intelligence and other similar emerging technologies; and
e. review automated decision systems used by State agencies for ethical concerns.
3. The council shall issue a final written report of its findings and recommendations made pursuant to this act to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature no later than one year following the first meeting of the council.
4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire upon the councils submission of its report pursuant to section 3 of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill establishes the New Jersey Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council to study artificial intelligence and the advantages and disadvantages of State agencies procuring, developing, and implementing artificial intelligence (AI). The council is to consist of seven members: the Chief Technology Officer, two members of the General Assembly appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, and two public members appointed by the Governor who have expertise in the use or design of AI.
The council is required to: (1) assess the need for a State code of ethics for AI used by State agencies and develop the code of ethics, if needed; (2) identify advantages and disadvantages of State agencies procuring, developing, and implementing AI; (3) recommend guidelines for State agencies to safely and ethically procure, develop, and implement AI; (4) develop strategies to deliver and support AI and other similar emerging technologies; and (5) review AI systems used by State agencies for ethical concerns.
The council is required to, within one year of its first meeting, issue a report to the Governor and Legislature concerning its findings and recommendations. The council is to expire upon submission of its report.