Gov. Josh Stein and other state officials held a press conference Tuesday afternoon, deemed an “NC Strong Update,” to give an overview of initiatives that the governor’s office and other state agencies are implementing in areas including AI, the biotech industry, public education, and disaster preparedness.
The governor signed an executive order creating an AI Leadership Council that Teena Piccione, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology (NCDIT), and Lee Lilley, North Carolina Secretary of Commerce, will co-chair. In addition, state Sens. Todd Johnson, R-Union, DeAndrea Salvador, D-Mecklenburg, and state Reps. Jake Johnson, R-Polk, and Zack Hawkins, D-Durham, will serve on the council.
“AI has the potential to transform how we work and how we live,” said Stein, a Democrat. “There are extraordinary possibilities with AI, and also serious risks. Our state will be stronger if we are well-equipped to take on these opportunities and challenges.”
He said the council will bring together a wide variety of industry experts to help make sure that the state to set AI policy, with the goal of advancing the use of artificial intelligence responsibly and fostering innovation.
In addition, an AI Accelerator will be located within the NCDIT department to serve as a centralized hub for AI governance and implementation to improve public services.
Stein is also directing each agency to create an AI oversight team within their departments to help them run more efficiently and, in turn, help the government work better for the people of the state.
He said examples of AI are already being used by the state to identify unnecessary burdensome regulations and to provide user-friendly AI agents to help North Carolinians navigate state services.
One of those areas was within the Department of the State Treasurer. State Treasurer Brad Briner said a 12-week pilot program between his office and OpenAI had mostly positive results.
“If we do this right, we can use AI to help unlock economic growth, attract innovation, improve government efficiency, and prepare our workforce for the jobs of tomorrow,” the governor said during the press conference.
Piccione said that earlier this year, the state hired I-Sah Hsieh as its first artificial intelligence governance and policy executive, and already has an AI framework in place, which state agencies can use as a guide for the responsible implementation of AI technology.
Next statewide strategic economic development plan being developed
Noting that North Carolina has been recognized as the top state for business three times over the past four years, Stein said an important part of that growth has been the biotech industry.
The sector generates $88.3 billion in economic activity a year, with $12 billion in pharmaceutical exports and $2.4 billion in state and local government revenues. More than 840 life sciences companies do business here, with an additional 2500 companies serving the industry and about 225,000 jobs in the state.
Lilley said since Stein took office in January, North Carolina has attracted more than 23,000 new jobs and $19 billion in capital investment, a record-setting pace for job creation.
To keep up with the growth, the Department of Commerce is partnering with the governor in developing the next statewide strategic economic development plan, which will set the course for economic growth through the end of this decade.
“We are working with a diverse steering committee of leaders in business education, workforce development, and economic development, as well as local governments, nonprofits, and many others who help us to guide this work,” Lilley said. “We’re also partnering with the ncIMPACT Initiative at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Government to host listening sessions across all eight of the state’s regional prosperity zones and a virtual session for statewide engagement.”
More information on the listening sessions and registration details can be found at commerce.nc.gov.
Nc Department of Public Instruction’s five-year strategic plan
The state Board of Education is scheduled to meet Wednesday and Thursday this week, revealing the new numbers on the state’s graduation rates and test scores. Ahead of releasing that data, North Carolina’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, Mo Green, revealed his department’s five-year strategic plan, for improving the state’s traditional public school system for the 1.5 million students who attend them.
After finishing his listening tour on public schools called “Mo Wants to Know,” he said he heard one resounding message: North Carolinians don’t just support public education, they demand excellence from it.
He called the plan student-centered and action-oriented, including specific timelines and goals, over the next five years.
Green added that the Golden Leaf Foundation is providing $25 million in an investment that he says will transform mathematical instruction in rural communities. North Carolina College Connect will help 63,000 seniors with at least a 2.8 grade point average attend college at between 41 and 34 public and private colleges and universities in North Carolina.
In addition, the state implemented a new student information program, Infinite Campus, for this school year, allowing them to work closely with their children’s schools. The system replaces PowersSchool.
september is Disaster preparedness month
Stein wrapped the press conference on Tuesday reminding North Carolinians that September is Disaster Preparedness Month, urging residents to be ready as storms grow more frequent.
“Over the previous 20 years, we anticipated 35 storms to hit North Carolina,” he said. “We experienced 50. That means 15 more storms came than were expected.”
Stein advised families to keep water, food, prescriptions, and several days of supplies on hand, make a plan, sign up for county alerts, and use resources such as ReadyNC.gov.
As the anniversary of Hurricane Helene approaches, Stein said recovery will stretch years into the future. “The point I want people of North Carolina to know is that western North Carolina truly is open for business,” he said.
He faulted federal delays for slowing progress. “So, we need Congress, and we need the administration to do a supplemental disaster appropriation,” Stein said. “We have an $11.5 billion request before them today.”
Stein noted the state has received more than $150 million in FEMA reimbursements, with another $50 million pending and $90 million in resiliency projects awaiting approval. He said he will also request additional Helene recovery funding from the General Assembly, which has already approved more than $1 billion.