October 28, 2024
Happy October, Team Commerce,
I hope you are enjoying the cooler temperatures and the vibrant colors of autumn. Over the past month, our collective efforts have continued to make waves across the industry and beyond, demonstrating the impact of our dedication and hard work.
I was recently named one of Utah Business’s Most Influential Women, a 2024 Women Tech Council’s Women Tech Award finalist, and the Utah State Bar’s Cyber Pioneer Award recipient. While I was proud to accept these recognitions, they are a testament to your collective innovative spirit and relentless pursuit of excellence that define our team at the Department of Commerce.
There is currently a crisis of trust surrounding big tech. Our mission at the Department of Commerce is to strengthen trust in commercial activity, and that’s what we are now working to do in the tech industry. We have been at the forefront of shaping policies that balance innovation with integrity. These recognitions reflect Commerce’s dedication to shaping Utah’s tech landscape through good public policy, particularly in artificial intelligence, social media regulation, and blockchain technology.
Technological advancements have created enormous prosperity for our society. However, learning how to harness these tools responsibly is a complex journey. We’ve helped craft Utah’s social media laws and sued social media companies to protect our kids. With the advent of powerful AI tools, we see a tremendous opportunity to solve some of the world’s biggest problems, including in healthcare, education, and re-skilling the workforce. Still, we need to restore trust in technology to get there. Our goal at Commerce is to do just that by putting in place the appropriate guardrails to spur innovation and ensure public safety by offering AI companies regulatory relief as they pursue innovative ideas. We’re also studying pressing AI issues, such as how Generative AI can be safely used in providing mental healthcare. While promoting innovation, we remain committed to advocating for regulations that protect the public. These awards recognize the collective work we are doing at Commerce to restore trust in technology.
During the interim legislative sessions, our Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy presented on the responsible use of Generative AI in mental healthcare. We aim to shape consumer protections, professional ethics, and safety standards in this field, paving the way for upcoming legislation ensuring AI technologies’ safe and ethical deployment. There are widely reported adverse outcomes to using AI in the mental healthcare field, issues that put people’s lives at risk. Potential good can happen, so we want to encourage responsible use of Generative AI and define a pathway for safe innovation in this field.
Outside the technology realm, during the interim sessions, our Office of Professional Licensure Review is also actively discussing licensing reforms in Utah’s beauty industry. Our efforts have gone towards streamlining license training requirements by focusing on public safety and creating “micro-licenses” for specialized beauty services like hairstyling or nails. We are working to lower entry barriers and enhance transparency, benefiting more than 60,000 workers in the state.
As we move forward, let us take pride in our achievements and the recognition we’ve garnered. Your dedication and excellence make these accomplishments possible, and I am immensely grateful for our team at Commerce.
Best regards,
Margaret
