Artificial Intelligence to be Focus of Fellowship at State Capitol

The Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE) is accepting applications for a one-year CASE Fellowship at the state legislature - the Connecticut General Assembly (CGA) Artificial Intelligence Policy Fellowship.

It is described as “an opportunity for a scientist/engineer to engage at the nexus of research and policy on a significant policy issue.” The Fellowship is projected to begin in March 2025 and end in February 2026.  Application deadline is January 6, 2025.  The 2025 session of the legislature begins on January 8, 2024 and the 2026 session begins in February 2026. 

The focus will be researching policies to further protect the data of Connecticut residents, which may include, but would not be limited to, the following key areas:

1.       consumer privacy, including data breach notification and limiting the collection and retention of personal data to what is necessary for the specified purpose;

2.       online privacy protection;

3.       health information privacy;

4.       children’s privacy;

5.       data security measures for the protection of personal information;

6.       require businesses to have clear and accessible privacy policies; and

7.       mechanisms for enforcement.

The selected Fellow will work at the Legislative Office Building, adjacent to the State Capitol in Hartford.  The Fellow will be placed under the guidance of the Senate Democratic Caucus and tasked to work directly with the Senator who has been a lead policymaker for Artificial Intelligence and Data Privacy, a member of the General Law Committee, which is the committee of cognizance for OPA and CTDPA.

The state’s Online Privacy Act (OPA), effective July 1, 2024, amends the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (CTDPA), which took effect in July 2023, to expand online privacy protections for Connecticut residents. The OPA includes protections for personal data, including consumer health data, and puts in place restrictions on the disclosure of health information.

Officials indicate that the General Law Committee is currently researching policies to further protect the data of Connecticut residents, which may include, but would not be limited to, the following key areas, according to CASE: 1) consumer privacy, including data breach notification and limiting the collection and retention of personal data to what is necessary for the specified purpose; 2) online privacy protection; 3) health information privacy; 4) children’s privacy; 5) data security measures for the protection of personal information; 6) require businesses to have clear and accessible privacy policies; and 6) mechanisms for enforcement.

Eligible candidates must have a PhD or equivalent terminal degree — or, for engineers, a masters-in-engineering with a minimum of three years of professional experience — in a field relevant to the topic.  PhD candidates will be considered if completion of their PhD is imminent.

This is the first placement of a Fellow at the Connecticut General Assembly by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.  CASE has previously placed two Fellows, who successfully completed their fellowships, at the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.