Georgia wrestles with how to govern AI without stifling innovation
As artificial intelligence permeates the daily lives of Georgians, policymakers across the country are debating how to govern the rapidly emerging technology while negotiating President Donald Trump’s staunch warnings to avoid “onerous and excessive” AI laws.
Georgia is taking a proactive approach, placing guardrails around its own use of the technology while experimenting with ways it can aid its employees facing gaps in the workforce. State lawmakers have had to tread lightly on a topic the White House has warned could prompt a fierce response if they go too far.
But the state’s voters largely believe regulation is needed.
According to an exclusive Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll, nearly 78% of likely Democratic primary voters surveyed support the federal government writing rules around AI. Among Republican primary voters, an overwhelming majority — 67% — also support AI regulation.
Morgan Guinyard of DeKalb County said she supports modest regulations on the technology. She said there needs to be enough room for companies to innovate and ensure that the U.S. isn’t falling behind other countries in the global race in AI innovation.
“I would rather us build it first and then figure out how to make it safely or regulate it than have China or Russia build it first,” Guinyard said.
Jacob Sheridan, a math teacher from Floyd County, said that he thinks the government should do more to regulate the technology.
Sheridan called AI’s ability to impersonate people “potentially terrifying.” He also raised concerns about how students might use the technology as a crutch in school instead of doing schoolwork themselves.
“You regulate every new industry. I don’t see what the harm is,” he said.
The state is taking its own steps to navigate how to use AI through the new Office of Artificial Intelligence. The state established the office in 2023 and began building policies and programs for state departments and employees utilizing AI.
“We are one of the states leading in this AI digital transformation because we started early,” said Shawnzia Thomas, the executive director of the Georgia Technology Authority, where the effort is housed. “But we didn’t jump out and start using tools. We wanted a foundation.”
The state policy follows five principles: get approval, use tools properly, be vigilant in virtual meetings, do not risk private data and beware of bias, according to its website.
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Agencies and local governments have flocked to the state’s innovation lab, a place where people can try different AI tools and find certain use cases for it. And the demand has been high, said Nikhil Deshpande, the chief digital and AI officer.
“We’re not just giving them access to the tools. We are there with them,” Deshpande said. The key question is, “What problem are you trying to solve?” he said.
In one such use case, a local government was able to utilize AI to help translate different languages instead of using a translator. Another example is call center employees using AI to provide a live database in which they can find information quickly to answer callers’ questions, Deshpande said.
The aim is “not to replace the human, but to augment the human,” Deshpande said. “You have to have a human in the loop when using AI.”
The wade into the generative AI arena has led to some public flubs. In DeKalb County, a map circulated to news outlets aiming to depict recent arsons did not match DeKalb’s actual geography and may have been created using AI, the AJC previously reported.
The General Assembly did pass two laws this year regulating some uses of the technology in the private sector. Senate Bill 540 would require AI companion chatbots to remind their users that they are interacting with a bot, not a real person. Senate Bill 444 would ensure a human, not solely AI or other software, decides whether a patient’s medical procedure is covered by insurance. Gov. Brian Kemp signed that bill into law last week.
About the Authors
Caleb Groves is a general assignment reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's politics team and a Kennesaw State University graduate.
