Two Penn professors contributed to a report outlining how Pennsylvania should regulate and adopt artificial intelligence that was delivered to lawmakers last month.
The Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission convened a 20-person statewide advisory committee — which included professors Richard Berk and Cary Coglianese — to develop guidance for local policymakers. The 389-page report examined AI’s role across multiple of the state’s sectors.
Berk, professor emeritus of criminology and statistics, told The Daily Pennsylvanian that the report was written after the legislature asked for information on “how to think about AI in Pennsylvania going forward.”
“No state, to my knowledge, has a full regulatory program for AI,” Berk said. “Some states, like California, have particular statutes that provide some guidelines and some restrictions — but it’s not the whole story.”
Pennsylvania is currently in the process of forming an organized framework that ensures AI restrictions are in place across a range of applications.
“They haven’t done that yet, nobody else has either, we were supposed to help them think that through,” Berk added.
On the topic of education, the report emphasized that AI “should not attempt to replace” the relationship between students and educators.
“AI technology should not be adopted in the classroom without due regard for empirical evidence of how the tool will be beneficial for the students’ education,” the report read.
RELATED:
‘Deprived of time’: Penn Carey Law students sign letter criticizing accelerated job recruitment
It also highlighted the importance of “equitable access” to AI tools, “taking into account the need for devices and internet connectivity for students to use these tools, especially in rural communities and digital deserts.”
The report recommended that school engage families in their efforts to introduce AI tools to students, and that educators understand the ethical responsibility that comes with AI usage.
Among the committee’s other recommendations were privacy regulations, healthcare reform, and the creation of a chief artificial intelligence officer within the Governor’s Office of Administration to coordinate statewide AI strategy.
The report said that collection activities should be disclosed, and data should be deleted upon transaction completion.
“The use of data should be restricted to just what is needed to accomplish the transaction the consumer has initiated, such as processing an insurance claim or a loan application,” the report read.
Berk explained that the state’s approach must remain flexible because “AI is going to look very different from what it does today” as the technology continues to evolve. The advisory committee could only write “a snapshot” given how “rapidly” AI is changing.
The report’s general recommendation expressed that legislation enacted to govern AI should include a “requirement that the statute be reviewed three to five years after the effective date” to reevaluate its purpose and address new aspects of the issue.
“The legislature has to continually keep in touch with new changes and innovations before they go ahead and write legislation, or they'll be left in the dust,” he added.
As lawmakers consider how to regulate its use, Berk added that the challenge will be finding “a sensible balance” between allowing AI applications in areas like criminal justice, medical care, and manufacturing to develop productively while ensuring “there are guardrails” to prevent harm.
Coglianese, the Edward B. Shils Professor of Law and professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, described the stakes of AI usage in the Penn Carey Law press release.
“The report’s emphasis on care and vigilance with respect to the use of AI offers valuable lessons for legislators and practicing lawyers alike,” Coglianese wrote. “Few policy issues today are as challenging and important as those related to AI governance."
In October 2025, Penn entered into a cooperative AI advising agreement with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Penn President Larry Jameson and Pennsylvania’s Chief Transformation Officer Ben Kirshner announced the partnership during a summit planned to guide how Pennsylvania uses AI to improve public services and support responsible innovation.
