Maryland

Plus, support remains strong for continuing the Affordable Connectivity Program, a Massachusetts planning program expands and Alabama gets $150 million in broadband funding.

Environmental groups, and some legislators, are voicing concerns about a bill proposed by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, arguing it excessively loosens oversight for energy-hungry data centers to open in the state.

The legislation would set mandatory AI safety testing requirements before training or market release and would mandate an internal fail-safe be included in all AI systems to trigger an immediate shutdown if issues are detected.

Anne Arundel County officials and members of the library system handed out more than 200 Chromebooks at the Linthicum library location as part of a program aiming to bridge digital and Internet access gaps.

The U.S. General Services Administration has chosen to collaborate with four states to pilot a text notification platform geared toward enhancing internal and external communication surrounding federal benefits services.

CIO Katie Savage explains how the state is taking a more holistic, collaborative approach to updating legacy systems, maturing its cyber team and establishing user-friendly design processes.

Plans to overhaul IT services in the state include new AI regulations; policies ensuring ease of access to state platforms; a collaborative approach to cybersecurity; and a new office dedicated to user-centric digital innovations.

As Maryland works to fill gaps in Internet access, Gov. Wes Moore and local groups are focused on ensuring residents have digital literacy skills, technical support and broadband, especially in areas like Baltimore.

An annual event in Frederick, Maryland, invites students from area high schools to see how science, technology, engineering and math affect people's everyday lives, and how accessible professions in those fields are.

States are starting to hire experts to navigate both the opportunities and the trickier aspects of AI. Maryland's Nishant Shah says job No. 1 is establishing a set of principles that set the foundation for everything else.

Plus, Missouri is launching a new advisory council related to digital equity; Kansas is collecting more input on its broadband plans; Maryland is dedicating more money to getting people connected; and more.

Plus, Maryland’s governor attends an ACP training session; Seattle has opened applications for its annual digital equity grants; new findings about Internet access; and much more.

The school system in Prince George’s County, Md., suffered a cyber attack on Aug. 14, mainly affecting staff’s user accounts. Now, school officials believe some personal information has been leaked.

The Maryland Department of Information Technology has hired four executives for new tech roles, including its first-ever chief technology officer. The state has also hired a new chief information security officer.

Backers think geothermal could power as much as 20% of the U.S. grid. A handful of states approved laws this year and others are considering measures that would provide money and regulations to help the industry.

The work group, which consists of 12 members from different stakeholder groups, is tasked with preparing a report by Dec. 1 that will inform the county's regulation of the critical digital infrastructure industry.

Plus, organizations urge Congress to support legislation for rural communities; a report explores redundancies in federal broadband programs; and much more.

While states like New York, Illinois and Maryland have forged new legislative roads to regulate AI use in hiring and review processes, more than 20 states have no proposed or enacted AI-related hiring bills.