Developments in technology and innovation are outpacing governments’ ability to fully assess their impact on our everyday lives. State attorneys general, as their state’s chief legal officers, must understand the legal and policy implications of emerging and evolving technologies. Using strategic partnerships with other public entities, nonprofit organizations, and the academic community, state attorneys general are collaborating across state lines and tapping into existing networks of technology legal and policy experts to understand the spectrum of issues they face in their multifaceted roles as enforcers, counsel to state government and legislatures, and representatives of the public interest.
Some of the issues state attorneys general are focused on include:
- Understanding and evaluating rapid developments in artificial intelligence and its numerous and evolving applications
- Autonomous vehicles
- Virtual currencies such as digital and cryptocurrency
- Increased use of facial recognition technology by public and private entities
- The latest developments in 3D printing
- Data security and consumer privacy issues emerging from the Internet of Things (IoT)
Resources
- Artificial Intelligence: Harvard University Berkman-Klein Center Briefing Book: State Attorneys General and Artificial Intelligence (2018)
- Big Data: FTC Report: Big Data – A Tool for Inclusion or Exclusion (2016)
- IoT: National Institute of Standards and Technology Internet of Things Information Page
- Virtual Currency: New York Office of the Attorney General Virtual Markets Integrity Report (2018)
