RICHMOND, VA — Governor Abigail Spanberger today urged U.S. congressional leadership to take immediate action to confront the unprecedented risks posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence — and pledged to continue working with state partners to address AI concerns in the absence of federal regulation.
In a new letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Governor Spanberger warned of the significant negative impacts on data privacy, employment, and large-scale resource consumption without new federal “guardrails that achieve meaningful AI accountability.”
“The federal government needs to play a much larger role in regulating this emerging technology to ensure its safe development and the protection of people and their livelihoods,” said Governor Abigail Spanberger. “The potential impacts of AI are too great to leave the regulation of this technology solely in the hands of private entities, especially when the CEOs of those same companies are also sounding the alarm on the significant risks presented by uncoordinated regulation.”
Governor Spanberger continued, “While the federal government must act in creating the guardrails that achieve meaningful AI accountability, in the absence of federal action, states are leading within their more limited areas of jurisdiction. For example, I just announced the most comprehensive and aggressive data center accountability effort in the country. In parallel with the framework, I established a rapid response AI Task Force that will address the unprecedented risks of unrestricted AI development, while steering the new technology to work in service of Virginians.”
Last week, Governor Spanberger unveiled her Data Center Accountability Framework — the most comprehensive and aggressive data center accountability effort in the country. The Framework includes Virginia’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force — established by Executive Order 22 — which focuses on addressing dangers posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence, including workforce displacement, data privacy, and cybersecurity.
Click here for Governor Abigail Spanberger’s full letter.
