Pennsylvania Leads Nation with Major AI Workforce Expansion
At the recent AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh, Governor Josh Shapiro made a landmark announcement that positions Pennsylvania at the forefront of technology in government. The Commonwealth is rolling out the nation's most advanced suite of generative AI tools to its state employees, signaling a major leap forward in its mission to harness AI for public good, economic growth, and workforce empowerment.
This move was the highlight of a summit that brought together leaders from major players like Google, Carnegie Mellon University, and BNY Mellon to discuss the future of artificial intelligence. It solidifies Pennsylvania's reputation as a leader in not just adopting AI, but doing so responsibly.
“Pennsylvania is leading the way when it comes to embracing innovation and putting artificial intelligence to work for people,” said Governor Shapiro. “We’re doing it responsibly, with the training and safeguards in place to protect our workers and the public. With world-class institutions like Carnegie Mellon, companies like Google and Westinghouse, and a growing innovation ecosystem right here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is showing the country how to harness AI to grow our economy, empower workers, and improve people’s lives.”
Pennsylvania's Groundbreaking AI Initiative for State Employees
Building on the success of a first-of-its-kind pilot program with OpenAI, all qualified state employees will now have access to both ChatGPT Enterprise and Microsoft CoPilot Chat. This dual-platform approach provides an unparalleled toolkit for enhancing productivity, streamlining operations, and ultimately delivering better, faster services to the people of Pennsylvania. The initial pilot program demonstrated significant potential, saving participating workers an average of 95 minutes per day.
A Foundation of Responsible AI Leadership
This bold expansion is built on a strong and deliberate foundation of responsible AI governance. The Shapiro Administration has methodically put guardrails and support systems in place to ensure AI is used safely and ethically, earning Pennsylvania national recognition for its approach. Key pillars of this strategy include:
- Clear Governance: A comprehensive Executive Order on AI established the nation’s strongest standards for AI use in state government, guided by core values like accuracy, privacy, equity, and transparency.
- Extensive Workforce Training: Over 1,300 Commonwealth employees have already completed InnovateUS training on safe and ethical AI use, with another 3,200 currently enrolled.
- A Collaborative Approach: A unique Generative AI Labor and Management Collaboration Group was created to ensure workers have a direct voice in how these new technologies are deployed.
- National Recognition: These forward-thinking efforts have resulted in Pennsylvania being ranked among the top three states for AI readiness in the 2025 Government AI Landscape Assessment by Code for America.
Fueling the Innovation Economy
The AI Horizons Summit wasn't just about government innovation; it also highlighted how Pennsylvania is fostering a thriving AI ecosystem through key public-private partnerships. Two major collaborations were announced:
- BNY Mellon and Carnegie Mellon University are launching a five-year, $10 million collaboration to create the BNY AI Lab. The lab will focus on critical research into governance, trust, and accountability in AI applications.
- Google officially launched its AI Accelerator for Pennsylvania small businesses. This program provides free AI training and tools to help local entrepreneurs streamline operations, cut costs, and grow their businesses.
AI as a Pillar of Economic Growth
Governor Shapiro’s focus on AI is a central part of a much larger vision for Pennsylvania’s economic future. This commitment to technology is already paying dividends, helping to attract historic levels of private investment and create thousands of new jobs across the Commonwealth.
Since taking office, the administration has secured over $25.6 billion in private sector investments, including a historic initial $20 billion investment from Amazon for AI and cloud innovation campuses. These efforts are guided by the state's first new economic development strategy in nearly two decades and supported by initiatives like the PA SITES program, which is preparing more shovel-ready locations for businesses to expand.
By strategically embracing artificial intelligence, Pennsylvania is not just modernizing its government operations—it is building a roadmap for a more prosperous and innovative future for all its residents.
