(The Center Square) – As the conversation of AI evolving dominates headlines across the globe, Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered an address on Thursday laying out what he thinks is the best path forward.
“I am not a doomer. I don't think it is inevitable that AI is going to take over the world, or that someone will misuse it to kill us or to do harm,” Shapiro said. “But I do have real concerns, as do many Pennsylvanians and many Americans.”
“And I don't think that the very real concerns of our neighbors that they overwhelmingly express about this technology is a hoax, as our president has called it,” he added.
Shapiro delivered a roughly 25-minute speech on Thursday afternoon at the AI Horizons 2026 Summit in Pittsburgh solely on the future of artificial intelligence.
The governor’s address comes just days after some of the top AI companies issued a warning about the advancements made in AI and the threats it poses to humans losing control over the technology.
During his speech, Shapiro described Pennsylvania as a model for setting guardrails for the evolving industry, while directing criticism at President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress for failing to enact regulations.
“I'm mindful that we are just one state, and despite our commitment to collaboration and the leadership of folks in this room and throughout the region, we can't address this alone,” Shapiro said. “It's going to require national, in fact, international leadership and collaboration.”
“I've called on the federal government to step up and regulate the AI industry, just like they do for nearly every other industry that significantly impacts our lives,” he added.
He isn’t the only governor to pressure the Trump administration to act.
On Monday, after a prominent AI researcher, Jacob Coxon, resigned from his job at Anthropic amid warnings that technology could become deadly to mankind, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker called for more federal regulatory oversight of the industry and congressional hearings.
And, Pritzker added, “big tech” companies shouldn’t be allowed to lobby against any reforms. He recently signed The Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act, requiring AI companies to conduct and share findings of annual third-party audits and disclose safety incidents to the state.
“We must protect our people from the dangers of AI while still harnessing the unique potential of the technology. And we're doing it in Illinois with a bipartisan, first and most protective in the nation, law,” Pritzker said at the signing.
Earlier this week, Trump took to social media to dismiss calls for government regulation of AI.
“The only control or “guardrails” that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” Trump wrote on Monday. “The Trump Administration has stopped AI “people” from doing bad, or potentially bad, “things,“ like Dario (Anthropic!), who is now pretending to be a “perfect little angel” - and we will continue to do so!”
“We already have tremendous CRIMINAL and REGULATORY power over these companies!,” he continued. “There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China. WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS! We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so. Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers, BEWARE! Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Shapiro argued on Thursday that the federal government needs to “establish strict rules of the road, and then enforce those rules to ensure a level playing field.”
“Rules that require independent third-party oversight of frontier models, increase transparency into the development of these models, and prioritize safety above all else,” Shapiro said.
In September 2023, Shapiro signed an executive order that he described as “responsible standards and a governance framework for generative AI use by commonwealth agencies.”
During his speech on Thursday, he pointed to examples of what he believes were success stories for AI in Pennsylvania: Gecko Robotics in Pittsburgh, which is using AI embedded in robots to inspect power plants to ensure safety; The Human Engineering Research Labs at Pitt using AI to develop a wheelchair with a robotic arm; and Burro using AI to build robots that help farm workers haul more produce.
However, he also acknowledged that bad actors exist – which is why his office recently sued Character.AI, alleging that its chatbots unlawfully claimed to be licensed medical providers in Pennsylvania.
“It's a false choice to say that our only two options in America are to do what Donald Trump is saying-that we should ignore the risks and go full steam ahead -or, on the other hand, to completely stop work on AI development indefinitely,” Shapiro said.
On Wednesday, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, canceled a Thursday voting session, allowing lawmakers to go home for a seven-week recess.
Shapiro blasted this decision, saying that Congress is “content to do absolutely nothing.”
“Think of this: just days after the leaders of all of these top technology companies in the world issued apocalyptic warnings, Mike Johnson adjourned the House of Representatives last night, weeks earlier than originally scheduled, so members could go home and campaign instead of staying in Washington and doing their jobs,” he said. “He has abdicated his responsibility to lead at a time when we cannot afford weakness and retreat.”
Johnson has urged caution about new laws, concerned they could restrict American companies and cause them to fall behind Chinese research.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, called on the Trump administration to hold a briefing with the chamber to explain what measures are already in place.
Next week, Chinese President Xi Jinping is slated to meet with Trump at the White House.
Shapiro warned that the administration’s pursuit of foreign military conflicts have “alienated” allies, “damaged” the nation’s credibility and “destabilized” the world.
“Instead, they should start leading the conversation on how we can mobilize countries around the world to join us in responsibly regulating AI,” he said. “That should start next week when President Xi visits the United States.”
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