The Utah Department of Commerce and The Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO) today announced the members of Utah’s Pro-Human Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force. The creation of this specialized task force marks the activation of Utah’s previously announced Pro-Human AI Initiative for ensuring that AI is human-guided and human-enhancing.
“Utah is leading out because we know that AI technology must remain human-guided, and if we don’t help create that paradigm, it won’t happen,” said Governor Spencer Cox. “By bringing together our best minds across government, industry, and academia, we are ensuring that Utahns aren’t just passive observers and users of AI, but architects of a future that protects dignity and empowers our workforce.”
The Task Force will include:
- Co-chairs: Margaret Busse, executive director, Utah Department of Commerce & Jefferson Moss, executive director, Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, bring a combined background in strategy, innovation, education, and state-level policy and administration.
- Kirk Cullimore, Utah Senate majority leader, is an experienced legislator who has focused on government accountability and helped shape business-friendly policy.
- Marvin Dodge, executive director, Utah Department of Government Operations, is a veteran of state finance and operations, specializing in technology services HR.
- Dr. Molly Hart, state superintendent, Utah State Board of Education, is a career educator and advocate for student achievement and community engagement.
- Geoff Landward, commissioner, Utah System of Higher Education, is an expert in administrative and education law with more than 20 years of legal experience.
- Lexi Pasi, co-founder, Lucidity Sciences, is a mathematician and machine learning innovator specializing in developing machine learning and AI solutions.
- Scott Pulsipher, president, Western Governors University, is a national leader in technology-based education and workforce development.
- David Wingate, associate professor, Brigham Young University, is a machine learning scientist whose research focuses on the intersection of large language models and social science.
Utah’s Pro-Human AI initiative bridges economic growth and public protection through a unified approach anchored in two core values:
- AI must be human-guided. Systems should protect dignity, preserve human agency, and ensure individuals stay in control of the tools that shape their work and their lives.
- AI must be human-enhancing. It should expand our capabilities, not diminish them; open new opportunities, not close them. Pro-human AI empowers workers with better tools, strengthens communities through accessible innovation, and enables problem-solving at unprecedented scale.
“We cannot afford to wait for the future to happen to us,” said Margaret Busse, executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce and task force co-chair. “These values push us to be proactive; protecting our children and ensuring transparency in AI interactions while providing the regulatory clarity that businesses need to thrive.”
To enable these core values, Utah’s Pro-Human AI framework further organizes the state’s efforts into six pillars that the task force will work to advance. These will include specific initiatives focused on academic research and development, industry innovation, learning and education, public protection, state government deployment, and workforce empowerment.
“Our goal is to foster an ecosystem where innovation and accountability thrive in tandem,” said Jefferson Moss, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, CEO of The Nucleus Institute, and task force co-chair. “To lead the nation on AI and in solving human problems, we must be proactive: equipping students for an AI-powered future, moving concepts from the lab to the marketplace, and inviting the world’s best innovators to build here in Utah.”
The task force will hold its first formal meeting in February and announce additional progress and details in the future. To learn more about the task force and framework, visit prohumanai.utah.gov.
The Utah Department of Commerce serves as the licensing, registration, and consumer protection agency for the state’s professional and business sectors, including the Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy, which is dedicated to fostering a safe and innovative AI landscape in Utah.
Under the direction of Gov. Spencer J. Cox, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity provides resources and support for business creation, growth, and recruitment, while also promoting tourism and film production in Utah. The office cultivates economic prosperity for all Utahns, leveraging federal, state, and private sector resources to implement programs in areas with the highest potential for economic development and opportunities for Utah residents.
