OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 21, 2025) – The State of Oklahoma has named Tai Phan as its new chief artificial intelligence and technology officer, tapping him to drive the state’s next era of digital modernization. In this role, Phan will spearhead Oklahoma’s acceleration toward a more secure, resilitent and modern digital government to deliver trusted, unified services and responsible AI innovation at scale for statewide agencies and citizens across Oklahoma.
This appointment fulfills the recommendation from the Governor’s Task Force on Emerging Technologies for a state AI officer to drive the state’s strategy, vision and guardrails for AI adoption.
“At a time when AI and emerging technologies carry both extraordinary promise and perils, I’m honored to step into this role and help lead the next stage of the state’s digital and technology transformation,” Phan said. “We have a remarkable opportunity to rethink how government operates by bringing forward innovation with trust by design to strengthen our mission, improve services and deliver meaningful, measurable impact for the people of Oklahoma.”
As chief AI and technology officer, Phan will guide Oklahoma’s efforts to use artificial intelligence and modern technology to make government work more efficiently. He will help agencies identify opportunities where AI can streamline operations, reduce manual work, and ensure systems are secure, reliable and cost-effective.
Phan will partner with leadership statewide to set ethical standards and best practices for AI and enterprise technology modernization, transformation delivery and cost-efficient use while protecting privacy, promoting transparency, and keeping technology fair and accountable.
State Chief Operating Officer David Ostrowe said this is a powerful moment in our state’s history.
“This is a pivotal moment as Oklahoma pioneers another new digital frontier,” said Ostrowe. “In this role, Phan has the responsibility and opportunity to drive meaningful change across state government, shaping how technology serves millions of Oklahomans now and in the future.”
Phan most recently served as chief technology officer for the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), which houses the state’s IT team, where he helped spearhead Oklahoma’s latest IT Strategic Plan and led technology strategy, operations and delivery of core enterprise services and platforms that enable 125+ agencies, boards and commissions statewide.
Prior to starting with OMES in March 2025, Phan’s career has spanned enterprise-level technology modernization, responsible AI adoption and business transformation across Fortune 500 enterprises and public-sector organizations. He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in management information systems and a Bachelor of Science in organizational behavior.
Phan was selected for the role by the state’s chief information officer, Dan Cronin.
“Tai brings a rare combination of public- and private-sector experience, having led enterprise-scale technology modernization and responsible AI adoption for both Fortune 500 companies and state government,” said CIO Cronin. “He combines visionary thinking with a proven track record of producing real, practical outcomes – exactly what Oklahoma needs.”
For more information, check out the state’s current AI standard and available AI courses.
Access Tai Phan’s headshot.
