PORTLAND, Maine (WVII) — Artificial intelligence has become commonplace. From the medical field to the classroom, and all the way back to 2023 when Devin Daigneault demonstrated how ChatGPT can create scripts with simple prompts.
“AI is becoming really ubiquitous, so I think people are deploying it in a lot of different places,” said Mary Dickinson, executive vice president and chief scientific officer at The Jackson Laboratory and co-chair of the Maine AI Task Force.
The task force was created by Governor Janet Mills' executive order in December 2024 and is comprised of leaders from several sectors of Congress, academics, and labor.
“I would like to thank the members of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force, the many experts who contributed to its work, and the people of Maine who shared their perspectives to inform this detailed report,” Governor Mills said in an October 2025 statement. “This report sets a course for responsible AI to strengthen Maine’s innovation and economy and provides guidance on the safe and productive use of AI.”
Last October, the task force released a report on the state of AI in Maine.
We discussed the opportunities for AI in the workforce. From forestry identifying specific trees to be felled to medical care with post-operative monitoring systems.
“I think AI has potential and could be beneficial to many industries, including its intuitive nature and flexibility of approach,” Dickinson said.
The report also explored the potential risks of AI and how you can take advantage of its seemingly limitless potential.
One example is the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit and the dangerous AI-induced loopholes in its systems. Officials we spoke to last September said there are people using AI to create child sexual abuse material, but there are no state laws against it.
“It certainly was the commission's job to join in these protective actions and propose to consider legislation that would help protect Maine residents. It was not the commission's job to legislate. It will be the role of the Legislature to move forward, leveraging all of the will of the people and the processes available to us, to ensure that these protections are enacted in the appropriate manner,” Dickinson said. “But we certainly discussed some really egregious uses of new technology that are problematic and for bad profit. This is a really sad topic, even though it could otherwise be something very transformative and positive.”
Click to read the report here.
