On 20 September 2023, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an Executive Order to establish responsible standards and a governance framework for generative AI use by Commonwealth agencies. The order outlines the values and principles by which Commonwealth employees will utilize productive AI technologies, engage Pennsylvania's leading AI innovation and research sector to understand potential impacts and opportunities of generative AI on the Commonwealth's workforce and digital service delivery and establish a Generative AI Governing Board to guide Commonwealth policy, use, and deployment.

GenAI technology has been influencing Pennsylvania's economy and their daily lives. The Governor's action positions Pennsylvania as a leader in the AI space, encouraging the responsible use of the technology to aid the employees of the Commonwealth to deliver more efficient and effective services, understanding the potential risks.

According to the Governor, the new technology cannot be ignored. However, it's important to educate the public and be proactive to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits of innovation, and that's the approach my Administration is taking in Pennsylvania. This new Executive Order is intended to responsibly integrate this emerging technology into some of their government operations so they can move at the speed of business and better serve Pennsylvanians. They hope their partnership with Carnegie Mellon can aid in establishing their potential to become a leader in responsible, ethical use of generative artificial intelligence.

The order contains ten core values that the executive branch will use to govern the use of generative AI in Pennsylvania. These values include accuracy, adaptability, employee empowerment, equity and fairness, innovation, mission alignment, privacy, proportionality, safety and security, and transparency.

Based on these values, the Office of Administration (OA) will create training materials on generative AI usage and the Commonwealth's governance structure and develop generative AI knowledge certifications for employees. The OA will also explore science and technology fellowships for post-bachelor, -master, and -doctoral candidates to pursue a two-year stint with the Commonwealth focused in part on the intersection of generative AI with their assigned agencies' mission.