Wes Moore forms bipartisan governors group on AI

The move comes as tech executives issue increasingly dire warnings that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity, testing governments' ability to respond nimbly. States have been more active than the federal government, but their power is limited when it comes to a technology that spans the country and the globe. In the past month, governors in Maryland, California, Illinois, Oregon and Virginia issued executive orders or took other steps intended to create standards, while Republicans including Spencer Cox of Utah and Greg Abbott of Texas cracked down on data center development. In Washington, action has been much slower. Sen. Bernie Sanders hosted a briefing with lawmakers and experts last month and Sen. Josh Hawley launched an investigation into OpenAI, but there has been little agreement on a legislative response.

At the White House, Trump has dismissed AI fears as a "hoax" and emphasized the need to remain competitive with technology developed in China. He and tech leaders signed a voluntary accord this week that he called "morally binding" and that will include internal and external reviews. Moore argued that federal leadership is needed from both the White House and Congress, and that in its absence governors cannot just sit on their hands.

The debate could play an important role in the early stages of the next presidential campaign. Moore has said he is not running for president and is focused on this year's midterms, when he is on the ballot for reelection in Maryland. Whoever enters the field could face scrutiny for past support for data centers, which were once seen as economic booms for states but have since become broadly unpopular. Whether the governors' framework produces binding rules or only guidelines is likely to hinge on how much authority states can assert over a technology that crosses borders.