Artificial intelligence is spreading rapidly across workplaces. In 2024, nearly eight in ten employers reported using AI, up sharply from the year before. As these tools move into state government, the stakes are high. The impact of AI is not abstract. The technology can directly affect jobs, working conditions, and the rights of our Commonwealth employees.

Our public sector workforce deserves more than being handed down decisions from machines. The people who keep our state running every day must have a real say in how new technology is introduced into their workplaces. Just as unions have long fought to ensure workers a voice in safety, pay, and conditions, we must now ensure they have a voice in the adoption of AI.

That is why I am introducing legislation to create a State Worker Artificial Intelligence Oversight Board. This board will be composed of state employees themselves, and it will have the authority to audit, approve, or block AI systems where jobs, privacy, or civil rights are at risk. It will also provide transparent oversight of employment practices and public-facing decisions that affect Pennsylvanians.

This is about protecting workers from being sidelined by technology. It is about ensuring that the people who do the work—not algorithms—are trusted to guide how AI is used in their own workplaces.

I invite you to join me in co-sponsoring this legislation to protect good jobs, safeguard worker voice, and keep the Commonwealth accountable as new technologies reshape our future.