Maine AFL-CIO Pre-Apprenticeship Director Sam Boss Appointed to State A.I. Task Force

Maine AFL-CIO’s Apprenticeship, Workforce & Equity Director Sam Boss has been appointed to serve on the new Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force. Governor Janet Mills established the Task Force in December to bring together business, education, labor, government, and community leaders to study the challenges and opportunities associated with the proliferation of AI. It is charged with developing policy recommendations that will “position Maine to harness the benefits of AI while minimizing risks for people and businesses.”

The Task Force was established in response to the rapid deployment of AI by large tech companies and its potential impact on businesses and workplaces. A 2023 report by the job platform Indeed found that “all jobs listed on the platform had skills that AI could either perform or augment. Nearly 20 percent of the jobs were considered ‘highly exposed,’ which means the technology is considered good or excellent at 80 percent or more of the skills that were mentioned in the job posting.”

In December, Governor Janet Mills released a statement stating, "Emerging AI technologies offer the potential to improve lives, drive economic growth, and help solve complex challenges. But like all new technologies, AI, if not embraced in a prudent and responsible manner, can cause potentially harmful changes to the lives and livelihoods of Maine people. The Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force will bring leaders together from across the state to ensure that Maine is embracing the opportunities presented by AI while mitigating threats to Maine people and businesses.”

The Governor's Executive Order directs the Task Force to study and offer recommendations in a report no later than October 31, 2025 that:

• Prepare Maine's economy and workforce for the opportunities and risks likely to result from advances in AI;
• Protect Maine residents from potentially harmful uses of AI technologies, such as safeguarding consumer data privacy, mitigating bias in datasets, and mandating disclosure around AI utilization; and
• Explore the most promising use cases for State agencies, quasi-State agencies, and other public entities such as municipalities to deploy artificial intelligence technologies to address capacity gaps and improve service delivery.

“We have to recognize that this technology is coming and we need to make sure that workers get the benefits and aren’t just pushed to the side in the name of the latest and greatest new tech,” said Boss, who is the sole labor representative on the 21-member Task Force. “I really want to look out for workers and be a strong voice on the Task Force for working people in several different sectors.”

He encouraged workers from all sectors to reach out if they are excited or concerned about how AI  in their workplaces. In addition to Boss, the Task Force includes leaders from Maine state and municipal government, the University of Maine System, and the Maine Community College System, as well as members representing Maine workers, businesses, health care, civil rights advocacy, and a consumer protection organization.

The Governor's Executive Order also establishes a Technical Advisory Committee comprised of subject matter experts in technology, legal issues, energy, and workforce policy to advise the Task Force. Maine is among at least 26 states that have or are establishing a task force, commission, or similar body to advise policy makers on emerging AI-related technologies.