As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries and everyday life, North Carolina is taking proactive steps to navigate this technological shift. The state’s AI Leadership Council, initiated by Governor Josh Stein, has unveiled the AI Strategic Roadmap, aiming to guide the integration of AI into various sectors with strategic goals and principles.
Governor Josh Stein emphasized the urgency and care needed in this digital transformation, stating, “Artificial intelligence is already changing how we work, learn, and serve the people of our state, and North Carolina must lead with urgency and care.” He further highlighted the roadmap’s role in safeguarding residents and enhancing government services: “This roadmap gives our state a strategy to protect people from harm, prepare our workforce for opportunity, and transform how government serves the public.”
Developed through collaboration among stakeholders from the private sector, government, education, and labor, the roadmap outlines 17 strategic goals across three main priorities:
- Ensure strong protections for workers, consumers, and public systems to shield residents from AI-related harms.
- Equip residents with the skills needed for current and future jobs, maintaining North Carolina’s reputation as a top business destination.
- Enhance government functions to provide improved services and outcomes for North Carolinians.
The roadmap’s goals include fostering trustworthy AI, enhancing AI literacy, supporting the workforce, preventing fraud, ensuring privacy, and promoting accountability. By balancing ethical management with technological progress, North Carolina aims to leverage AI’s potential to benefit all its communities.
NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Nate Denny remarked on the broader implications of the plan, “This is not just a technology plan. It is a plan to build public trust.” He underscored the responsibility North Carolina bears in ensuring that AI, while enhancing interactions with information and services, is governed properly and transparently to improve lives.
North Carolina Commerce Secretary Lee Lilley also noted AI’s significant impact on future work and economic competitiveness. “This roadmap positions North Carolina to help workers build new skills, help businesses responsibly adopt new tools, and help communities prepare for the economy of the future,” he said.
The AI Leadership Council, formed under Executive Order 24 in 2025, supports the Governor and state agencies in AI strategy and policy. Additionally, the recently established North Carolina AI Caucus, a bipartisan legislative group, aims to promote responsible AI policies and emerging technology governance.
Click here to read the AI Strategic Roadmap.
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