Josh Shapiro
Role at the time: Governor of Pennsylvania, posting on his official X account
Statement summary
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said he had told an audience of CEOs, researchers and AI experts in Pittsburgh that action is needed now to rein in artificial intelligence and regulate it federally. He compared AI to pharmaceuticals and aviation, which must satisfy the FDA and FAA before reaching the public, said the technology's future should be shaped by the public rather than by CEOs focused on their bottom line, and called for strict guardrails on its development and deployment.
“Today, I stood before CEOs, researchers, and AI experts in Pittsburgh with a simple message: We need to take action NOW to rein in AI technology and regulate it at the federal level. Think about it: We don't let pharmaceutical companies develop drugs and put them right out on the market, they must go through the FDA to prove they're safe and effective first. And the FAA sets strict standards that every airplane must meet before passengers can fly on it. AI shouldn't be treated any differently.”
First-party post from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's official X account, published the same evening as the House adjourned early without acting on AI legislation. Shapiro describes having addressed CEOs, researchers and AI experts in Pittsburgh earlier that day, and refers to "the online discourse on your feed over the weekend about the dangers of AI." The post had about 12,800 views when accessed. Replies visible on the post accuse him of inconsistency over Amazon data-centre investment in Pennsylvania; those are reader replies, not sourced claims.
Why we used this label
Shapiro rejects leaving powerful AI's future to CEOs and says Washington must establish strict development and deployment safeguards.