What happens when cybersecurity is no longer the No. 1 priority for state CIOs? On this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha break down the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) annual Top 10 list for 2026—and the major shakeup that put AI, including generative and agentic AI and machine learning, at the top for the first time in more than a decade.
What happens when cybersecurity is no longer the No. 1 priority for state CIOs? On this episode of Gov Tech Today, hosts Russell Lowery and Jennifer Saha break down the National Association of State CIOs (NASCIO) annual Top 10 list for 2026—and the major shakeup that put AI, including generative and agentic AI and machine learning, at the top for the first time in more than a decade.
00:00 Welcome to Gov Tech Today + What’s Coming Up
00:23 What the NASCIO Top 10 List Is (and Why It Matters)
01:24 Major Shakeup: AI Takes the #1 Spot
03:00 #2 Cybersecurity: Still Critical, Now Shaped by AI
04:58 #3 Budget & Cost Pressures Move Up the Rankings
06:15 #4 Modernization: Tackling Legacy Systems (and Funding It)
07:28 #5 Digital Government Services Debut in the Top 10
08:23 #6 Accessibility: New Federal Rules Drive State Action
09:20 #7–#8 IAM + Data/Analytics: The “Foundation” Priorities
13:20 #9 Consolidation & Optimization: Fewer Systems, More Shared Platforms
16:25 #10 Cloud Services: From Trendy to Ubiquitous (Cloud Smart)
17:56 Wrap-Up: Thanks to NASCIO and State CIOs