Report Calls for More Expertise to Regulate AI Use Within Virginia Government

A new report calls for more oversight and guidance regarding AI use within Virginia state government, including legislative action requiring AI literacy training for state employees.

As reported by Cardinal News, the 79-page, state-directed report included 14 recommendations in all, including funding for ongoing specialized technology law expertise and an annual legislator’s guide on artificial intelligence.

As Cardinal News’ Tad Dickens noted, the state’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission directed its staff in 2025 to review AI use, governance, regulation and oversight in the commonwealth.

The subsequent report was published during an Oct. 13 meeting in which General Assembly members from Southwest Virginia shared its findings with the state’s Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

The report focused most of its recommendations on the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, which provides IT services, infrastructure and cybersecurity to state agencies. The recommendations to the agency noted the need for risk assessments for executive branch agencies’ AI use, as well as clear standards and policies about emerging risks, and a list of approved tools, for instance.

According to Dickens, General Assembly members said to expect legislative action in 2027 to address issues raised in the report.

Legislators serving on the commission told Cardinal News that the state needs AI and technology experts in legislative services and at the agency level. Senator Creigh Deeds told the publication that “a lot more thought” is needed regarding AI oversight, but that expects bills in the next session to largely follow the report’s recommendations.

“We want to be nimble enough,” Deeds told Cardinal News, “to deal with the rapidly changing landscape.”