Maryland Governor Wes Moore recently unveiled a series of pivotal steps to revolutionize the state’s digital landscape. This comprehensive transformation plan pivots on four key strategies: the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), the adoption of user-centered digital service design, the assurance of equitable access to information technology, and the fortification of Maryland’s digital infrastructure through enhanced intergovernmental collaborations.
Governor Moore emphasized the necessity of not just rebuilding but modernizing state government. “In our first year, we learned that it isn’t enough to rebuild state government — we need to modernize state government too,” he stated. His vision includes enhancing the user experience on state websites, ensuring accessibility of state services to all, including individuals with disabilities, and strengthening cybersecurity across the public sector to safeguard against cyber threats.
The Maryland Department of Information Technology, in tandem with the Moore-Miller Administration, is dedicated to offering essential technology solutions. These solutions are designed to aid the executive branch, state agencies, and coordinating offices in delivering services that enhance Maryland residents’ safety, efficiency, and productivity. The department directs the state’s IT and telecommunications strategic initiatives, fosters cross-agency cooperation, and endorses operational and project management best practices.
One of the key actions announced is issuing an Artificial Intelligence Executive Order. This order lays the groundwork for state agencies to harness AI responsibly and productively. It also establishes an AI Subcabinet to formulate and implement a comprehensive AI action plan. This plan will operationalize the state’s AI principles, set boundaries for agencies’ AI usage, and foster AI knowledge and skills within the state government.
Another significant step is the creation of the Maryland Digital Service within the Maryland Department of Information Technology. This newly formed team, comprising state product managers, user researchers, designers, and engineers, will assist state agencies with website and application redesigns. This initiative, a first for the department, aims to deliver well-designed, user-centered digital experiences to increase public trust in government, reduce service costs, and aid agencies in fulfilling their critical missions.
The administration is also rolling out Maryland’s first-ever Digital Accessibility policy to ensure equal access to state-procured and developed information technology and services for all Marylanders, irrespective of their abilities. The policy is focused on maximizing usability for everyone.
Lastly, establishing the Maryland Cybersecurity Task Force marks a significant stride in the state’s digital defense strategy. The task force, comprising cybersecurity experts from various state departments and coordinated by the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security, advocates a unified approach to proactive cybersecurity within Maryland.
Maryland Department of Information Technology Secretary Katie Savage highlighted the broader implications of these actions. “The collective actions we are announcing today are the beginning of where we need to go as a state and a nation,” she remarked. Savage underscored the importance of embracing new technologies while ensuring their security and accessibility to maintain competitiveness and inclusivity.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): David M. Higgins II
Quelle/Source: The Southern Maryland Chronicle, 10.01.2024
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