(The Center Square) — Maine Gov. Janet Mills is wielding her executive powers to set up an artificial intelligence task force to examine the opportunities and implications of the new technology.
Mills said the new panel created by her executive order will “bring leaders together from across the state to ensure that Maine is embracing the opportunities presented by AI while mitigating threats to Maine people and businesses.”
“Emerging AI technologies offer the potential to improve lives, drive economic growth, and help solve complex challenges,” Mills, a Democrat, said in a statement. “But like all new technologies, AI, if not embraced in a prudent and responsible manner, can cause potentially harmful changes to the lives and livelihoods of Maine people.”
The 21-member Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force, which is expected to begin meeting in January, will include state and municipal government officials, representatives from the University of Maine and Maine Community College System, Mills said. They will be tasked with studying the challenges and opportunities associated with the proliferation of AI and preparing policy recommendations.
A key priority for the panel will be studying the potential impact of Maine’s economy and workforce, protecting Mainers from “potentially harmful uses of AI technologies,” and exploring how municipalities can use artificial intelligence to address capacity gaps and improve service delivery, according to the Mills administration.
Increasingly, companies are using artificial intelligence tools to produce various documents, from term papers to home mortgages, but the technology has raised concerns about plagiarism, misinformation, racism and other societal harm.
To date, at least 26 states have established committees to study the impact of AI, while another 12 states have enacted legislation aimed at regulating the use and development of the technology, according to the Council on State Governments. A bipartisan group of lawmakers recently published a framework to guide forthcoming AI legislation in Congress.
Nearly one-fifth of the U.S. workforce is classified as “highly exposed” to AI, making them particularly vulnerable to job transformations driven by advancements in artificial intelligence, according to the Mills administration.
“Artificial intelligence presents incredible opportunities for Maine businesses to innovate and grow, but we must also take proactive steps to help ensure Maine’s economy is prepared to adapt to the rapid pace of change,” said Heather Johnson, Maine’s Commissioner of Economic & Community Development.
