Artificial intelligence is changing how Maryland works and learns. State lawmakers are preparing new measures to guide its use responsibly and strategically in the next legislative session.
In a recent article from The Baltimore Sun, Maryland lawmakers are preparing to consider a slate of AI-related proposals aimed at both safeguarding the public and encouraging innovation when the General Assembly returns in January.
As previously covered by MACo, local governments are increasingly adopting AI for a variety of purposes, such as improving public services and enhancing public safety. Local governments face challenges similar to those of state agencies, including data privacy concerns, ethical use of AI, and accountability for automated decision-making.
Lawmakers across party lines acknowledge AI’s potential to transform daily life but also its risks for bias and misinformation. A workgroup created earlier this year is tasked to provide recommendations how to protect consumers from AI-related harms in areas like employment and housing. Lawmakers are also interested in how AI can help educators plan lessons and support students struggling in core subjects.
Several bills from the previous session, including one directing the Maryland Department of Education to study AI’s use in schools and another limiting AI-driven hiring tools, may return in revised form. Meanwhile, national debates continue over how much states should regulate AI, with experts divided between calls for a unified federal framework to avoid a patchwork of regulations and warnings against rules that could curb innovation.
From the article:
There needs to be guardrails on AI — similar to what is happening in the legal community, where AI has spit out inaccurate case law, where lawyers have gotten in trouble using AI-generated memos that have given inaccurate information, said Delegate Jesse Pippy of Frederick County.
Local governments have an opportunity play a key role in implementing future AI guidelines, balancing public trust, privacy, and opportunity across Maryland communities.
