AI AND DATA CENTERS
Artificial Intelligence
The choice of our next Governor is critical to whether AI harms or helps the people of Massachusetts.
With AI capabilities advancing exponentially and Massachusetts, specifically, being home to world-class research universities and a growing cluster of AI companies, a measured, regulated approach is required to ensure that smart guardrails are built now. Critics across the political spectrum have taken issue with the federal administration's partnership with OpenAI, largely due to the company's ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies. This alignment with federal policy has fueled broader concerns here in MA, as many citizens and advocacy groups have expressed distrust over integrating the same corporate AI tools into state government that have already sparked internal resistance among OpenAI employees and ignited
national protests over mass surveillance and military ties.
Providing no transparency, the Healey Administration committed Massachusetts to a three-year, multimillion-dollar contract with OpenAI to deploy its AI tool for the Executive Branch’s 40,000 employees. Government contracts with companies like OpenAI must be transparent about how AI is being deployed and consider input from state employees. Many citizens and advocates express distrust over integrating the same corporate AI tools into state government that have sparked internal OpenAI employee resistance regarding mass surveillance and military ties.
As your Governor, I will keep transparency at the forefront and not dismiss the concerns and distrust of the Commonwealth’s labor force and advocacy groups. I will keep the well-being of the labor of the Commonwealth at the forefront.
Data Centers
As home to leading research institutions, Massachusetts has a unique role to play in ensuring that the growth of data centers does not come without accountability. I support a moratorium on building future data centers, listening to the concerns of residents and advocates citing utility bill increases, environmental strain from fossil fuel use, and other environmental and climate threats, and state and federal regulatory lags. As Governor of Massachusetts, I will study the impacts of infrastructure and how to redesign utility rate structures to protect everyday consumers.
I will rescind the current administration’s sales and use tax exemption for data centers. I will work with the legislature to require companies proposing data centers to pay for any increased energy or water consumption costs, so they aren't passed on to consumers. Consumers require that companies pay for any grid improvements incurred and that all projects be subject to strong labor standards.