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At an artificial intelligence summit in Pittsburgh, the governor challenged the federal government to regulate artificial intelligence for safer use.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro publicly advocated for stronger federal regulations and controls over artificial intelligence (AI) technology during his Sept. 17 speech at the AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh. While asserting he is not an AI 'doomer,' Shapiro criticized President Donald Trump for dismissing AI concerns as a 'hoax' and Congress for avoiding the issue. He highlighted a recent incident where state officials discovered chatbots instructing children to self-harm or providing unauthorized medical advice with fake credentials, which led to legal action against Character.AI by his administration. Shapiro emphasized the necessity of proactive measures and responsible regulations to prevent such harmful occurrences.
Shapiro's remarks followed similar warnings from prominent AI industry executives regarding the technology's potential dangers if left unchecked. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, suggested that decelerating AI development could significantly mitigate risks. This sentiment was echoed by Elon Musk, who leads xAI, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, both of whom publicly supported the need for increased safeguards and a slower pace of AI advancements, as reported by USA TODAY.
The governor stressed that the United States must win the global AI race against nations like China, but not at the expense of public safety. He argued that the federal government has a clear responsibility to regulate the AI industry, drawing parallels to how federal agencies ensure the safety of medicine and aircraft before they reach the public. Shapiro criticized U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson for abdicating leadership on this critical issue by adjourning the House early after the industry's pleas for AI regulation. Shapiro concluded that the future of such a powerful technology must be shaped by the American people and their representatives, addressing the understandable fear and confusion among everyday citizens with a focus on responsible, safe, and ethical AI uses.
Shapiro's stance on AI regulation was met with criticism from his gubernatorial opponent, Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity. Garrity accused Shapiro of a 'shameless flip-flop,' highlighting his previous efforts just over a year prior to attract Amazon to Pennsylvania to build large AI data centers. She pointed out that Shapiro's administration had offered billions in state tax breaks, access to Pennsylvania’s power grid, and created a fast-track permitting process specifically for Amazon. This executive order on regulating data centers was unveiled by Shapiro the previous month. In contrast, Garrity has taken a firm stance against such developments, calling for a pause in data center construction within Pennsylvania, a position that diverges from traditional Republican free-market principles.