Maine Governor Janet Mills signed an executive order on Friday to create a task force dedicated to examining the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI) for the state’s residents, economy, and institutions. This initiative comes in response to the rapid advancements in AI technology, which are transforming how people live and work.
Governor Mills highlighted that nearly 20% of the U.S. workforce is considered “highly exposed” to AI, making them vulnerable to significant changes in their jobs. However, she also emphasized AI’s potential to create new industries, improve efficiency, and expand access to technical fields.
The Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force will bring together leaders from business, education, labor, government, and community organizations to evaluate the impact of AI on the state. Its primary mission will be to develop policy recommendations that enable Maine to capitalize on the benefits of AI while protecting workers and businesses from potential risks.
The 21-member task force will include representatives from state and municipal governments, the University of Maine System, and the Maine Community College System. Additional members will represent Maine’s workers, businesses, health care sector, civil rights advocates, and consumer protection organizations.
The task force is expected to present its findings and policy recommendations in a report due no later than October 31, 2025. Governor Mills expressed optimism that this effort will help Maine navigate the AI-driven transformation of the economy and ensure that the technology serves the interests of its people and businesses.
In November 2023, American Faith reported that the Pentagon gave former California Artificial Intelligence (AI) specialist Song-Chun Zhu $30 million in federal grants.
Zhu now works for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
While directing an AI center at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Zhu created an institute near Wuhan, China.
According to a report from Newsweek, Zhu joined a CCP “talent plan,” where members are instructed to share technology with China.
The National Science Foundation, a federal agency that awarded millions of dollars to Zhu, told the outlet that “foreign collaborations and affiliations of Song-Chun Zhu were identified and reported to the intelligence community and law enforcement,” adding that it became aware of security risks “near the end range of this scientist’s funding.”