Washington Executive Order 24-01

• Authority: Washington
• Parent authority: State governments
• Jurisdiction: United States
• Collections: U.S. state and local documents
• Most recent activity: Enacted
• Most recent activity date: 2024-01-30

Risk subdomain coverage

Good coverage — Comprehensive governance measures or mitigations with clear procedures relating to the risk subdomain are explicitly described.

• Unfair discrimination and misrepresentation
• Unequal performance across groups
• Governance failure
• Lack of transparency or interpretability

Minimal coverage — Brief mention but no specific mitigations, recommendations or governance measures relating to the risk subdomain are described.

• Compromise of privacy
• AI system security vulnerabilities
• False or misleading information
• Disinformation, surveillance, and influence at scale
• Cyberattacks, weapon development or use
• Fraud, scams, and targeted manipulation
• Overreliance and unsafe use
• Increased inequality and decline in employment
• Lack of capability or robustness

All other risk subdomains had no coverage in this document.

Risk Coverage Summary

The document has good coverage of approximately 8-10 subdomains, with strong focus on discrimination and bias (1.1, 1.3), privacy and security (2.1, 2.2), misinformation (3.1), governance structures (6.5), and AI system safety (7.3, 7.4). Coverage is concentrated in fairness, accountability, transparency, and governance domains.

Sector coverage

Good coverage — Comprehensive governance measures or mitigations with clear procedures relating to the sector are explicitly described.

• Public Administration (excl. National Security)

Minimal coverage — Brief mention but no specific mitigations, recommendations or governance measures relating to the sector are described.

• Trade, Transportation & Utilities
• Professional & Technical Services
• Scientific Research & Development Services
• Educational Services
• Health Care & Social Assistance
• National Security

All other sectors had no coverage in this document.

Sectors Summary

This executive order primarily governs AI use within Public Administration (state government operations). It also explicitly mentions high-risk applications in multiple sectors including Health Care, Employment/Professional Services, Law Enforcement (National Security), and critical infrastructure (Trade, Transportation and Utilities). The governance applies to state agencies' use of AI across their various functions.

Legislative Status

Hard Law

Legislative Status Summary

This is a binding executive order issued by the Governor of Washington with mandatory language throughout, directing state agencies to take specific actions by specific deadlines. While it creates internal government obligations rather than regulating external parties, it has legal force within the executive branch.

Actors

Proposer

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Summary: The executive order is issued by Governor Jay Inslee under constitutional and statutory authority, making the Governor's office the proposer of this governance instrument.

Target

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor, AI_Developer, AI_Deployer
• Summary: The order applies to state agencies that will be using generative AI technology and vendors that provide AI systems to these agencies. State agencies are both deployers and governance actors, while vendors are developers/providers.

Enforcer

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Summary: The Governor's office has ultimate enforcement authority, with WaTech, DES, and the Office of Equity designated to develop and oversee implementation of guidelines, frameworks, and accountability mechanisms.

Monitor

• Entity Types: AI_Governance_Actor
• Summary: The Office of Equity is explicitly tasked with overseeing an accountability framework with continuous monitoring. WaTech and DES are responsible for ongoing monitoring of AI use, and OFM will assess workforce impacts.

AI Lifecycle Stages

Lifecycle stages covered by the documents, as defined in the OECD Framework for the Classification of AI Systems

• Plan and Design
• Collect and Process Data
• Build and Use Model
• Verify and Validate
• Deploy
• Operate and Monitor

AI Lifecycle Summary

The document covers multiple lifecycle stages with primary focus on deployment, operation and monitoring. It addresses planning through required reports and assessments, verification through risk assessment requirements, deployment through procurement guidelines, and operation through continuous monitoring frameworks.

Technical Scope

Terms relating to technical scope that are mentioned or implicitly referenced in the document

• AI Systems
• Generative AI

Technical Scope Summary

The document explicitly focuses on generative AI technology, defining it as technology that can create content including text, images, audio, or video. It also defines and extensively addresses High-Risk Generative AI Systems. There is no mention of compute thresholds, foundation models, open-weight models, or distinctions between general purpose and task-specific AI.