(HB2094)

GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 2094, which would establish a burdensome artificial intelligence regulatory framework.

I support responsible governance of artificial intelligence (AI). Through Executive Order 30 (2024), we have established that responsible governance across the Executive Branch, establishing safeguards and oversight for AI use, and assembling a highly skilled task force comprised of industry leading experts to work closely with our Administration on key AI governance issues.

Our Administration has worked tirelessly to build the Commonwealth into a place where companies of all sizes can thrive, including AI innovators. We secured our goal of helping to launch 10,000 new startups in August of 2024. Our efforts have added thousands of tech jobs, and secured hundreds of millions in new economic growth from businesses moving to or expanding in Virginia. The regulatory framework called for by HB 2094 would undermine this progress, and risks turning back the clock on Virginia’s economic growth, stifling the AI industry as it is taking off.

There are many laws currently in place that protect consumers and place responsibilities on companies relating to discriminatory practices, privacy, data use, libel, and more. HB 2094’s rigid framework fails to account for the rapidly evolving and fast-moving nature of the AI industry and puts an especially onerous burden on smaller firms and startups that lack large legal compliance departments.

The role of government in safeguarding AI practices should be one that enables and empowers innovators to create and grow, not one that stifles progress and places onerous burdens on our Commonwealth’s many business owners. This bill would harm the creation of new jobs, the attraction of new business investment, and the availability of innovative technology in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Accordingly, I veto this bill