In this episode of AI in Chicago, I sit down with Brandon Ragle, Illinois State Chief Information Officer and Secretary of the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology, to talk about what it really takes to scale AI responsibly in a large public-sector organization.

Brandon leads more than 1,800 technologists, manages a technology portfolio of over 11 billion dollars, and supports 3636 executive branch agencies serving 1313 million Illinois residents. Our conversation explores why strong foundations matter more than speed when adopting AI — from identity and access management to data governance, cybersecurity, workforce readiness, and long-term change management.

We also discuss Illinois’ governance-first AI strategy, the state’s rollout of secure productivity tools, and why Brandon believes AI should enhance people’s work, not replace them. If you’re a leader thinking about AI adoption in government, healthcare, or any complex organization, this episode offers a practical blueprint for doing it right.

In this episode we talk to Harley Johnson, CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park.

Most business leaders have quantum computing filed away in the "maybe in 10–15 years" folder. After sitting down with Harley Johnson, the CEO of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), for the latest episode of the AI in Chicago Podcast, I'm convinced that timeline needs to be moved up. Significantly.

Timed to the federal CHIPS and Science Act, a group of state and institutional leaders developed a deliberate strategy: take the basic science excellence Illinois had been building for a decade and translate it into economic development. The result is IQMP — a state-backed technology park being built on a former steel mill site on Chicago's South Side, designed to take quantum technology from lab breakthroughs to real-world scale.

Why do Republicans and Democrats live in different factual universes? The answer traces back to 1973 and three conservative staffers who transformed how America makes policy.

Professor E.J. Fagan, author of "The Thinkers," explains how partisan think tanks replaced neutral expertise with competing knowledge regimes—and why smart, educated people are actually easier to fool than everyone else.

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why the Heritage Foundation was founded and how it changed American politics

• How the 2009 stimulus bill demonstrates the cost of ideological capture

• Why it's easier to fool intelligent, motivated people than those who are less informed

• The difference between think tanks in the US versus other democracies

• Why Project 2025 may be less influential than people think

• Organizations like the Niskanen Center and R Street Institute that are getting it right

Professor Fagan argues the solution isn't neutral centrism;' it's politically engaged organizations with epistemic integrity.

As we face decisions about AI deployment, climate adaptation, and economic transformation, we need information infrastructure that serves democracy.

Key insight: "Don't try to take the politics out of information, but try to get it right."

Guest: Professor E.J. Fagan, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Illinois Chicago and author of "The Thinkers: The Rise of Partisan Think Tanks and the Polarization of American Politics" (Oxford University Press)