Maryland unveils broad AI blueprint focused on workers, kids and closing the skills gap

On September 22, Maryland Governor Wes Moore released a comprehensive framework that sets out the state’s guiding principles for developing, deploying and regulating AI. Rather than focusing narrowly on innovation or competitiveness, the document explicitly centers Maryland’s communities, workers and children.

The plan calls on the state’s civil rights and labor agencies to clarify how existing anti‑discrimination and workplace laws apply when employers use AI for hiring, monitoring or evaluations. It also states that when government agencies adopt AI systems, they must ensure transparency, meaningful human oversight and clear lines of accountability for automated decisions.

Beyond guardrails, Maryland wants to help residents adapt to an AI‑heavy economy by expanding skills training and reskilling programs. With Congress still struggling to pass comprehensive AI legislation, the framework illustrates how US states are starting to craft their own mix of rights protection and economic strategy — an approach that other jurisdictions, including those in Japan, are likely to watch closely.