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    New York Taps Eleonore Fournier-Tombs to Govern AI at Scale

    New York’s new Chief AI Officer will coordinate policy, infrastructure, and deployment

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    New York Taps Eleonore Fournier-Tombs to Govern AI at Scale

    New York State has appointed Eleonore Fournier-Tombs as Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer within the New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), positioning her to shape AI strategy for the state’s technology operations. The announcement, made by ITS last month, describes the role as central to planning and coordinating AI use across ITS, partner agencies, and New York State government.

    Fournier-Tombs will support ongoing statewide AI initiatives under Governor Kathy Hochul, including the Empire AI program launched in 2024 to advance research, innovation, and practical applications of AI for public good.

    She brings more than 15 years of experience in AI policy, digital transformation, and data governance to the position. ITS said she will focus on expanding AI education for state employees, refining statewide AI policy, and optimizing AI applications while managing risk and maintaining ethical oversight.

    Turning Global AI Policy Into State Practice

    Fournier-Tombs’s career spans international policy and research. Before her New York State appointment she served as Head of Anticipatory Action and Innovation and Senior Researcher at the United Nations University, where she founded and led the institution’s first AI policy research lab and directed governance of predictive analytics and AI systems.

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    About the author

    Mukundan Sivaraj

    Mukundan covers enterprise AI and the AI startup ecosystem for AIM Media House. Reach out to him at mukundan.sivaraj@aimmediahouse.com or Signal at mukundan.42.

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