Illinois hires its first chief AI officer

Source Domain: statescoop.com

Kader Sakkaria was appointed as the first Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer for the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology on June 1.
Sakkaria is a seasoned technologist with a diverse background in global data technology, leadership roles at Ruffalo Noel Levitz, BMO Harris Bank, and as an innovation and technology commissioner for the City of Aurora.
As Illinois’ CAIO, Sakkaria will lead the state’s enterprise AI strategy and facilitate its ethical and responsible deployment across government.
The state actively recruited for this role starting from December, emphasizing the need for a “statistical-minded person” who understands AI governance and has a passion for government services.
The appointment of Sakkaria aligns Illinois with other states like Vermont, Texas, New York, Montana, Oklahoma, and Alabama that have also appointed chief AI officers to guide AI adoption.
Illinois recently released its statewide AI policy in April and launched a chatbot tool to 55,000 users in October, with the CAIO tasked with ensuring privacy, security, and good governance in these initiatives.