The Legislative Science, Technology and Telecommunications Interim Committee held an organizational meeting on Tuesday at Roundhouse. Committee members went over some of the issues they want to look into the next several months.
The committee rarely recommends legislation and is more likely to come up with information that is used in other committees to write bills, resolutions and memorials.
Broadband legislation has been high on the list of issues that the committee has been looking into the past several years and the committee will be looking for updates on how getting rural New Mexico wired is going.
One major issue expected to be given a lot of attention during the interim is Artificial Intelligence. Legislative Council Service Bill Drafter Mark Edwards says it’s expected to be a hot topic.
“Several members and at least a couple of members from leadership specifically requested that artificial intelligence be on this committee’s work plan,” he said. “That is a huge ball of wax. AI seems to be impacting law enforcement, it’s impacting the publishing industry. Part of the writers’ strike for the film industry which is growing in this state is based on "Will chatbots start writing scripts?”
The Committee will also be looking into energy needs in a changing market, cybersecurity challenges, climate resiliency and what needs to be put in place to help people with remote working. With many growing fields in technology lawmakers also want to look into how to get more people trained to work those jobs.