Pittsburgh, PA – Nearly two years after tapping Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to provide expertise and support to the Commonwealth for AI governance, the Shapiro Administration returned to CMU today to announce a new agreement that will expand collaboration on AI policy, strategy, and implementation.
The Cooperative Agreement for Artificial Intelligence Advising Services unveiled at today’s Unlocking AI for Public Good conference co-hosted by CMU and the Office of Governor Josh Shapiro underscores the Commonwealth’s commitment to use AI responsibly and effectively to improve government operations and deliver better, faster service to Pennsylvanians.
“Here in Pennsylvania, we’re not waiting for the future - we’re building it,” said Governor Shapiro. “The Commonwealth is leading the nation in harnessing the opportunities for AI to improve how we serve Pennsylvanians, spur innovation, and attract new investments to grow our economy. By working hand-in-hand with our universities, research institutions, and the private sector, we are positioning Pennsylvania for sustained growth and leadership in this rapidly advancing field. This new collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University reflects my Administration’s commitment to the safe, responsible, and effective use of AI to deliver real results for Pennsylvania.”
Several members of the Shapiro Administration participated in panels and discussions at the conference, including Secretary of Policy and Planning Akbar Hossain, Secretary of Community and Economic Development Rick Siger, and Chief Transformation Officer Ben Kirshner focused on AI’s impact on energy production, the environment, transportation, and economic development.
Building on a Strong Record of Responsible AI Leadership
Governor Shapiro signed his nation-leading executive order on safe and responsible AI adoption in state government in September 2023 at CMU, establishing core values including accuracy, privacy, equity, and transparency and creating a Generative AI Governing Board to guide AI policy, research, and deployment.
In March of this year, the Governor returned to CMU to share the results of a yearlong, first in the nation collaboration with OpenAI to pilot ChatGPT Enterprise and announce a new Generative AI Labor and Management Collaboration Group to ensure workers have a voice in shaping how AI is used in government operations. In a letter, Governor Shapiro also reaffirmed eight core principles by which Commonwealth employees can responsibly implement generative AI tools.
The 175 Commonwealth employees who participated in the pilot saved an average of 95 minutes per day when using generative AI to assist with writing assistance, brainstorming and research, and summarizing complex or large quantities data and information.
Based on employee feedback from the pilot, the Commonwealth has expanded training and resources to support AI exploration and use. Over 1,500 Commonwealth employees have completed InnovateUS training on responsible AI use as a prerequisite to access Microsoft Copilot Chat and ChatGPT Enterprise. Another 4,100 Commonwealth employees are enrolled in the training.
Pennsylvania now offers the most advanced suite of generative AI tools of any state in the nation to any qualified employee — building on the Commonwealth’s first-in-the-nation ChatGPT Enterprise pilot program and empowering workers across state government to deliver better, faster service to Pennsylvanians.
Governor Shapiro’s leadership on AI has helped to attract billions of dollars in new investments to create jobs and grow Pennsylvania’s economy, including $20 billion by Amazon to build AI and cloud computing campuses across the Commonwealth. It is the largest private-sector investment in state history, creating more than 1,250 high-paying tech jobs and thousands of construction and supplier positions.
Pennsylvania’s proactive approach to AI has set a national precedent, demonstrating that when deployed responsibly, generative AI can deliver real results for workers, businesses, and communities across the Commonwealth.
# # #