Minnesota’s Technology Advisory Council (TAC) released its 2025 report Feb. 19, outlining new recommendations to state officials to strengthen security, innovation, and service delivery across government.
The council, a permanent body established by the Minnesota Legislature in 2021, advises Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and executive branch agencies on strategic IT initiatives and service delivery. The 2025 report focused on four priority areas: cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), data sharing and governance, and product and customer experience.
Quantum security roadmap urged
The report recommends that state officials prepare for emerging quantum security threats that pose “a new class of risk to traditional encryption methods that protect the state’s most sensitive financial and health records.”
To address this challenge, the council recommends establishing a strategic roadmap to identify cryptographic vulnerabilities and begin transitioning to quantum-resistant algorithms.
Recommended actions include:
- Conduct a comprehensive inventory of cryptographic methods in use across state systems, applications, databases, vendor solutions, and third-party services
- Assess quantum vulnerability of existing encryption methods and identifying high-risk systems that protect sensitive data, including financial systems, health records, and critical infrastructure controls
- Develop a prioritized, phased migration plan to quantum-resistant encryption algorithms, beginning with the highest-risk systems and following National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidance on post-quantum cryptography standards
- Incorporate post-quantum encryption requirements into security policy updates, procurement standards, and vendor contracting to ensure consistent adoption across state government
Responsible AI adoption continues
The council found that MNIT made significant progress toward meeting, and in several cases exceeding, its prior recommendations for AI. These recommendations include expanding workforce readiness and AI literacy, establishing enterprise AI governance, and enabling safe experimentation and scaling of AI tools.
As a result, the council offered no new AI recommendations for 2026. Instead, it encouraged continued focus on consistent execution and scale, including:
- Standardizing enterprise AI guidance and resources while maintaining flexibility for agency-specific needs
- Expanding AI awareness and capability through targeted training, leadership engagement, and reinforcement of responsible use practices
- Improving data quality, visibility, and security to ensure agency content is AI-ready
- Advancing practical AI adoption through integrated tools such as Microsoft Copilot, AI agents, and custom applications.
- Highlighting successful AI use cases and evolving governance to promote shared learning and transparency
Enterprise data leadership proposed
The council emphasized the need for a coordinated, enterprise approach to data stewardship and sharing, noting that effective data use depends on both clear policy direction and strong technical capability..
It recommended the establishment of an Office of the Chief Data Officer to partner with executive branch agencies in developing and implementing an enterprise data strategy. The office would provide leadership and coordination to support responsible stewardship, sharing, and use of data to improve decision-making and outcomes.
In its first 18 months, the office would work with agency leaders and national experts to assess statewide data maturity, develop an enterprise data strategy, and support agency implementation.
Modernizing customer experience
The council also made recommendations to strengthen government service delivery for improved customer experience. Those recommendations included enhanced IT procurement flexibility and sustainability, develop sustainable IT funding models for strategic growth, and empower leaders to drive adoption of customer experience strategies.
TAC also called for exploration of sustainable IT funding approaches that support long-term product ownership and continuous improvement. In the coming year, a subcommittee will review funding models within state government and other sectors to identify strategies that enable strategic growth while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
Additional recommendations include strengthening leadership ownership of customer experience strategies, building workforce capacity in customer experience and product expertise, and establishing channels to share customer experience stories, lessons learned, and best practices across state government.
