Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, chairman of the National Governors Association, is forming a bipartisan group of governors to address concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) and the rapid growth of the technology. Co-chair Gov. Mike Braun of Indiana is expected to partner with Moore in developing a framework for AI governance.
Technology executives, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and Elon Musk, have raised concerns about AI’s potential risks. However, there has been disagreement over how much government oversight is needed and what form it should take.
Moore says states need to take a greater role while federal policymakers have yet to settle on a comprehensive approach. Since mid-September, Democratic governors in California, Illinois and Oregon have signed executive orders on AI oversight, while those in Maryland and Virginia have issued orders governing data center projects. Republican governors have also acted on data centers: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has paused state approvals for new projects pending a grid audit, and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox set new standards for reviews in May.
Governors and local leaders have raised concerns about the energy and water resources consumed by data centers, as well as the potential effects of AI on employment, election integrity and cybersecurity. The technology also raises concerns about the creation of deepfakes and its potential use in attacks on critical infrastructure.
Moore announced the initiative Oct. 1 at an innovation conference in Baltimore. He said Braun, a Republican, would work with him to develop the framework, with other governors from both parties expected to participate.
Photo by Matheus Bertelli from Pexels
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