FRANKFORT — The Artificial Intelligence Task Force 2025 on Thursday advanced the group’s main goal, recommendations to the Kentucky General Assembly for consideration in future legislative sessions.
Co-chairs Rep. Josh Bray (R-Mount Vernon) and Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe (R-Lexington) outlined the 10 recommendations during the committee’s final meeting before the session began in January.
“We tried to incorporate your recommendations. Some of them were federal issues and were more appropriate there. So we prepared those recommendations. But thank you to everyone who sent them in,” Bray said.
In its recommendations, the task force urges lawmakers to consider changing state laws to better protect consumer data as artificial intelligence, known as AI, continues to evolve.
The committee also recommends that lawmakers consider updating AI policies for state agencies, along with stronger policies to protect minors on social media from the potential effects of AI.
Another recommendation calls for recognition that AI could impact careers, with the task force asking lawmakers to work with professional standards boards on the use of AI in certain professions.
A complete list of recommendations can be found here.
Senate Minority Caucus Chairman Reginald L. Thomas (D-Lexington) said the section on minors is a good recommendation because it promotes online safety for children and parents. He said he expects Congress to take action on this issue during the session.
“Here in America, we have conversations about the sexual exploitation of minors and sex trafficking of minors every day. We know that it happens all too often. And AI is coming out here every day to cause harm and danger to our children,” he said.
Thomas added that two other data center recommendations are important and that no data center should be built in Kentucky without an environmental impact study. He cited concerns about how power use by data centers could impact people and businesses already connected to the power grid.
“I don’t think that cost should be passed on to the current users of that power system,” he said. “If there is an increased cost associated with building or using a data center, I believe that increased cost should be paid by the data center and not by the current consumer or business users who were using the data center before it was commissioned.”
The recommendation asks lawmakers to consider Kentucky’s policies regarding data center siting and use of water and power resources.
Mr Bray said Mr Thomas’ concerns were the reason these sections were drafted. He recalled past solar power laws that dealt with similar issues.
“If you remember the solar bill that was passed a few years ago, it set minimum requirements for installations and decommissioning bonds to ensure that if a solar facility were to be decommissioned, there would be adequate funding to ensure that local landowners were not obligated to do so,” he said.
Bray said the Kentucky Public Service Commission is completing a grid utilization study regarding capacity and availability for large users seeking approval. He agreed that lawmakers don’t want electricity costs to rise due to power consumption from data centers.
“We’ve had a lot of conversations with utility companies, data centers, public service commissions, and we’re going to see legislation that addresses exactly those concerns,” Bray said.
Sen. Jex Williams (R-Verona) pointed to one of the recommendations to bring AI development and governance under the purview of legislative committees. He said jurisdiction should fall under the Natural Resources and Energy Commission.
“There is a one-to-one relationship between data centers and energy,” he said.
The General Assembly established a task force to explore the use of AI across Kentucky to promote innovation and competitiveness, promote AI literacy, and ensure AI development and governance in Kentucky, including data centers.
Mays Bledsoe said the task force has been a “great tool” over the past two years to educate lawmakers and provide a path forward for long-term planning.
“It was a really great committee, and I really appreciate the conversations,” she said.
