North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein on Tuesday signed an executive order (EO) creating the state’s Artificial Intelligence Leadership Council, tasked with advising on and supporting AI strategy, policy and training. The move comes just more than a year after the state published its AI responsible use framework.
Executive Order No. 24: Advancing Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence That Benefits All North Carolinians sets the direction for the council and creates the North Carolina AI Accelerator, which will serve as a hub within the N.C. Department of Information Technology (NCDIT). Council duties include creating a state AI road map; recommending AI policy, governance and ethics frameworks; guiding the accelerator; addressing workforce, economic and infrastructure impacts; and issuing recommendations for AI and public safety. Its first report is due June 30, 2026.
“AI has the potential to transform how we work and live, carrying with it both extraordinary opportunities and real risks,” Stein said in a news release. “Our state will be stronger if we are equipped to take on these challenges responsibly. I am looking forward to this council helping our state effectively deploy AI to enhance government operations, drive economic growth and improve North Carolinians’ lives.”
State CIO and NCDIT Secretary Teena Piccione will co-chair the council alongside state Department of Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley. The governor named 22 additional members from the public and private sectors. They include technology leaders, educators, state legislators and state agency representatives such as David Yokum, chief scientist of the Office of State Budget and Management. Vera Cubero, emerging technologies consultant for the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, and Charlotte CIO Markell Storay are among the appointees, each of whom will serve a two-year term.
“I am honored to chair this council dedicated to strategically harnessing the exponential potential of AI for the benefit of North Carolina’s people, businesses and communities,” Piccione said in the release. “The AI Accelerator, along with our other initiatives, puts us in a strong position to implement swift and transformative solutions that will not only position North Carolina at the forefront of technological innovation but also uphold the latest standards of data privacy and security.”
The AI Accelerator will serve as the hub for AI governance, research, development and training. It is housed in the NCDIT, where staff will develop an AI governance framework, risk assessment and statewide definitions for AI and generative AI, according to the EO. When it comes to AI, Piccione sees significant potential for its use in government, identifying use cases in areas including procurement, fraud detection and cybersecurity, she told Government Technology earlier this year.
The state, like others, has been accelerating its AI moves of late. NCDIT named its first AI governance and policy executive this year, the University of North Carolina has been working with faculty to address AI in classroom settings, and some state agencies are looking at ways to safely implement chat and other services. North Carolina now joins other states that have appointed councils; are working toward ethical governance; and are wrestling with data centers, AI use and how it impacts energy use, also mentioned in the EO.
