How will Massachusetts regulate artificial intelligence? The Attorney General of the commonwealth has a response – been there, done that.

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell told an AIM audience yesterday that Massachusetts has an established framework for regulating artificial intelligence based upon guidance issued in 2024 that existing state consumer and other laws apply to AI.

“In 2024, our office was the first office in the country to make clear that Massachusetts consumer protection laws, our civil rights and data-privacy laws apply to AI just as they apply to human offenders,” Campbell said at an AIM Commonwealth Conversation that drew more than 125 business leaders.

She said the guidance has been a “game changer” since it has allowed the commonwealth to establish guardrails for AI development using existing laws rather than requiring the passage of new ones. Her comments came days after senior executives at several frontier AI companies warned that the artificial intelligence industry is moving too fast and needs to slow down the development of its most advanced models.

Campbell stressed that her office does not wish to inhibit the development of new technology and has, in fact, integrated AI into its Digital Evidence Lab and other operations that require review of vast amounts of information. She noted that her office and every other business must remain vigilant and accountable for the technology they use.

“Our message is clear – innovate responsibly,” she told the audience gathered at the Boston offices of AIM member Foley Hoag.

The attorney general covered a range of topics during her remarks but spent much of her time discussing “federal accountability work” – responding to Trump Administration initiatives she maintained would permanently harm the Massachusetts economy.

Pointing to the uncertainty that last month drove the AIM Business Confidence Index into pessimistic territory, the Attorney General said her office has filed lawsuits that have preserved $3.9 billion out of $4.1 billion in funding and investments for Massachusetts that have been threatened by federal actions.

The office also participated in litigation challenging tariffs that were eventually struck down by the US Supreme Court.

“AIM’s most recent Business Confidence Report … demonstrates that concerns about tariffs and inflation are leading to significant anxiety among our leaders in the business community,” Campbell said.

“That uncertainty is more than just a number in a report. It reflects real decisions whether to hire or let employees go, whether to build more affordable housing when you don’t know what the cost of steel is…whether to invest additional capital or to expand a sector of a company here in Massachusetts or to frankly to expand in additional places elsewhere in the country.”

Campbell urged the business community to become more visible in opposing measures that affect the state economy, such as the end of temporary protected status for people from Haiti. AIM has played a major role in helping Massachusetts employers understand the implications of that policy.

“When do we get off the sidelines. That’s a question for all of you,” she said.