JLARC Finds Gaps in Virginia’s Oversight of State Agencies’ AI Use

Richmond Petersburg, VA, October 15, 2026 —

Virginia’s state watchdog agency, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), found that the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) is falling short in its oversight of state agencies’ use of artificial intelligence, according to the report summarized.

The report points to a lack of guidance for assessing risks and unclear rules governing AI use. As a result, state agencies are interpreting policies differently, a variation JLARC says increases the state’s risk of AI misuse.

The findings center on the state’s oversight framework: agencies are using policies that are not being interpreted consistently, while VITA is not providing sufficient oversight, according to the summary. The report’s account does not identify particular agencies, AI systems or instances of misuse. It also does not describe specific consequences of the differing interpretations.

The summary does not provide the report’s publication date, detailed recommendations, or VITA’s response. It does not specify whether JLARC found that misuse had occurred, as distinct from identifying an increased risk. Those details would be needed to assess the scope of the oversight gaps and what steps, if any, are being taken in response.

JLARC’s central finding is that unclear requirements and limited risk-assessment guidance leave state agencies applying AI policies inconsistently. The report characterizes that uneven approach as a source of increased risk for the state, while the available information does not establish further specifics about the systems involved or the potential effects.

Story summarized from the original created by Dean Mirshahi on www.vpm.org, see more information here.