Governor Josh Shapiro underscored Pennsylvania’s growing role as a national hub for artificial intelligence at the second annual AI Horizons Summit in Pittsburgh, announcing a first-in-the-nation expansion of advanced generative AI tools for state employees.
Speaking before more than 900 technology, business, and academic leaders — including representatives from Google, Carnegie Mellon University, BNY Mellon, and Westinghouse — Shapiro highlighted how his administration uses AI to strengthen government services, empower workers, and drive economic growth.
“Pennsylvania is leading the way when it comes to embracing innovation and putting artificial intelligence to work for people,” Shapiro said. “We’re doing it responsibly, with the training and safeguards 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.”
Expanding AI Across State Government
At the summit, Shapiro announced that any qualified state employee will now have access to the nation’s most advanced suite of generative AI tools — including ChatGPT Enterprise and Microsoft CoPilot Chat. The expansion builds on Pennsylvania’s groundbreaking pilot with OpenAI, which already saves participating state employees an average of 95 minutes daily.
The move cements Pennsylvania’s standing as one of the top three states in the nation for AI readiness, according to Code for America’s 2025 Government AI Landscape Assessment. Since taking office, Shapiro has implemented the country’s strongest executive order on AI use in government, trained thousands of employees in safe and ethical AI practices, and created a labor-management group to ensure workers help shape how AI is deployed.
Partnerships Fueling Innovation
The AI Horizons Summit also served as a stage for new collaborations in Pennsylvania’s innovation economy.
- BNY Mellon and Carnegie Mellon University announced a five-year, $10 million partnership to establish the BNY AI Lab at CMU’s School of Computer Science, focusing on governance, trust, and accountability in AI applications.
- Google launched its new AI Accelerator for Pennsylvania small businesses, providing entrepreneurs free AI tools and training to streamline operations and expand.
Shapiro toured the Accelerator after his panel session, meeting with small business owners and delivering remarks on how AI can strengthen local economies.
Building on Economic Momentum
The Governor tied Pennsylvania’s AI strategy to his broader economic development agenda, which has already secured over $25.6 billion in private-sector investments and created over 12,400 new jobs. Highlights include:
- Amazon’s $20 billion investment in AI and cloud campuses is the state’s most significant private investment in history.
- A new statewide economic development strategy — the first in nearly two decades — prioritizing life sciences, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and robotics & technology.
- $500 million in site development funding in the 2024–25 bipartisan budget, including the launch of the PA SITES program to expand shovel-ready business locations.
Responsible Growth
Shapiro emphasized that PA’s leadership in AI is rooted in responsibility and opportunity. “We’re not just adopting AI to be ahead of the curve,” he said. “We’re making sure this technology benefits workers, businesses, and communities in every corner of the Commonwealth.”
