Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced an ambitious initiative to utilize “agentic” artificial intelligence (AI) to expedite his commitment to reduce one-quarter of the state’s regulatory structure during his term. This announcement follows President Donald Trump’s significant trade deal with Japan, which Youngkin stated positions Virginia to greatly benefit. Youngkin’s plan involves an executive order that introduces a pilot program leveraging AI to thoroughly analyze Richmond’s regulations and official guidance. The governor has directed agencies to evaluate the savings generated by any measures implemented.
As outlined by his spokesperson, Peter Finocchio, the AI will serve two primary purposes: first, to compare existing regulations with statutory requirements to identify redundancies; second, to assess how Virginia’s regulations compare with those of other states to enhance efficiency and reduce red tape. Finocchio emphasized that while AI will assist in making recommendations, human oversight is critical, with decisions ultimately made by designated officials as mandated by Executive Order 30. Agentic AI differs from conventional reactive systems, like ChatGPT, in that it can pursue specific goals and make autonomous decisions, similar to technologies used in driverless cars. Youngkin expressed confidence that this initiative will “supercharge” the administration’s efforts to modernize government processes, thus improving service to citizens.
He asserted that Virginia is making notable progress in streamlining regulations, aiming to prime the economy for all residents. The AI will pinpoint areas of redundancy and contradiction in regulations, aiding state agencies in maintaining effective governance. To date, Virginia’s regulatory guidance documentation has seen a nearly 50% reduction in total word count. Moreover, 26% of statewide regulatory requirements have been streamlined or eliminated, which has led to an estimated annual taxpayer savings of $1.2 billion.
While some agencies have yet to meet the 25% reduction target set forth by Youngkin, Virginia is poised to be the first state to deploy an agentic AI tool in regulatory reduction.
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