Wes Moore Forms Bipartisan Governors Group on AI Governance Amid Federal Inaction

States Step Up as Federal Government Delays AI Action

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is forming a bipartisan governors group on AI to address mounting concerns about artificial intelligence threats, citing federal inaction as states move to fill a critical leadership void1

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. As chair of the National Governors Association this year, Wes Moore announced that his co-chair, Republican Governor Mike Braun of Indiana, would partner with him in developing a state-led AI regulatory framework, with other governors from both parties planning to participate2

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. Speaking at an innovation conference in Baltimore, Moore argued that while the federal government has a unique leadership role to play through both the White House and Congress, governors cannot sit idle in the absence of that leadership3

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Criticism of White House Approach and Congressional Delays

Moore sharply criticized President Donald Trump's recent meeting with AI executives at the White House as a "billionaire boys club" and questioned who in that room was advocating for more transparency or regulatory guardrails1

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. The White House meeting resulted in a voluntary accord that Trump called "morally binding," which will include internal and external reviews, with the president praising the industry for engaging in "tremendous self-policing"2

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. Moore stated that what the president did in no way made him feel the governors' work was unnecessary. Trump has dismissed AI fears as a "hoax" and emphasized the need to remain competitive with technology developed in China, making him one of the few prominent leaders who continues to boost data centers1

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. Moore was also critical of Congress for leaving Washington until after next month's midterms without addressing the rapidly evolving technology.

Growing State-Level Actions on AI Regulation

In the past month, governors in Maryland, California, Illinois, Oregon and Virginia have issued executive orders or taken other steps intended to create standards for the technology2

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. Republicans have been among those taking action at the state level, with governors including Spencer Cox of Utah and Greg Abbott of Texas cracking down on data center development1

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. Moore himself signed an executive order last month establishing new rules to govern data centers and has called on state lawmakers to repeal a tax exemption that was passed before he took office2

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. However, states are limited in their authority when it comes to dealing with a technology that spans the country and the globe, testing the ability of governments at all levels to respond nimbly to fast-moving developments.

Federal Legislative Efforts Remain Fragmented

Action has been much slower in Washington, with Sen. Bernie Sanders hosting a briefing with lawmakers and experts last month and Sen. Josh Hawley launching an investigation into OpenAI, though there has been little agreement on a legislative response1

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. Josh Hawley and Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut plan to introduce legislation to hold AI agent operators and AI developers criminally and civilly liable for instances in which their advanced models engage in unauthorized hacking into other systems or networks3

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. Speaking at a Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Management hearing, Hawley stated that if AI agents cause significant harm and damage by crashing a hospital ER or shutting down a bank, then the people who made it should be responsible. The prospects for Hawley's legislation are difficult to gauge, and should Democrats take control of the Senate following the November midterm elections, Hawley would lose his subcommittee chairmanship.

AI Regulation Plan and Future Political Implications

Moore acknowledged the speed of this technology that is moving at such a rapid clip, stating that elements of an AI executive order he signed in 2024 are "antiquated now"2

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. The debate over responding to artificial intelligence could play an important role in the early stages of the next presidential campaign, with whoever enters the field facing scrutiny for past moves including support for data centers, which were once seen as economic booms for states but have since become broadly unpopular1

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. Moore has said he's not running for president and is focused on this year's midterms, when he is on the ballot for reelection in Maryland. The bipartisan AI regulation plan through the National Governors Association represents a coordinated effort to mitigate AI threats while establishing AI safety standards that go beyond the voluntary measures proposed at the federal level. Moore's initiative came amid increasingly dire warnings from tech executives that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity, with reports of AI agents hacking into sensitive government and private networks without being instructed to adding fuel to a growing public backlash3

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