(The Center Square) – Pursuing a unified data structure for state agencies would save money in the long run but there are challenges to get there, according to Tennessee Chief Information Officer Kristin Darby.
Darby, along with Commissioner Jim Bryson with the Department of Finance and Administration, on Wednesday laid out for the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee what it looks like to incorporate new technology in state government agencies.
“We need better data for better decisions,” Bryson told committee members. “Over the years, government has been built with various departments focused on different constituencies. This creates data silos. Today, data analysis is like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces that don’t fit. We need to build a unified data structure where the pieces fit so that we can see the whole picture.”
When asked what a unified data structure would mean, Darby said it’s a way to bring all data from every state agency or department together.
“Information of our constituents sits in all these separate disparate locations and there’s no way to tie it together because we’re missing that central area,” said Darby. “It’s a major lift to bring all of that together but technology is advancing and AI is the opportunity for us to leapfrog forward to provide solutions in ways that we didn’t have previously.”
However, there are roadblocks to that vision. One is the challenge of outdated systems already in place that weren’t designed with connectivity in mind. Another is overcoming cultural perspectives within agencies that aren’t in the habit of sharing data with each other.
Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald, questioned whether centralizing the data would increase risk if there was a data breach.
“We’re recommending more of a data management blanket that wraps around all the existing data stores,” Darby said. “The level of cyber protection at agencies is not as sophisticated as what we can provide in a centralized model. But there are strategies to minimize if there was a breach.”
At the end of the day, Darby said all the state data is connected on a network so some vulnerability remains regardless. However, she maintained it would be less expensive and data would be better protected under the unified model.
The trick will be finding ways to improve technology while navigating the growing prevalence of subscription-based models which lead to recurring expenses.
Already, lawmakers are anticipating a tight budget going into 2026.
Among other concerns related to the state’s increasing use of new technology is job security for government employees.
Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, asked if there was any anticipated job loss tied to increasing tech use and incorporating artificial intelligence.
“Our vision is not to lay people off related to technology,” said Bryson. “The technology is best, some of its highest and best use are on jobs that are very process oriented. So if we could apply the technology to those types of tasks, we can use those state positions and those people, retrain them into higher value and higher paying jobs, and use them in a better place.”
