Maine releases AI roadmap to guide innovation and safeguard communities

(Bar Harbor, Maine - Oct. 31, 2025) – The Jackson Laboratory’s executive vice president and chief scientific officer, Mary Dickinson, co-chaired Gov. Janet Mills’s AI Task Force, helping to craft Maine’s first comprehensive roadmap for artificial intelligence. 

The task force, which Gov. Mills established through Executive Order in December 2024, included state and local officials, legislators, education representatives, and business and non-profit leaders. The group was charged with delivering recommendations that lay a foundation for bolstering innovation related to AI, while strengthening guardrails against its potential harms. Dickinson, who oversees JAX’s research enterprise, co-chaired the committee with David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System.

“Maine is laying the groundwork to lead in how AI shapes our future, from education to health to the economy,” said Dickinson. “Maine innovators, including my colleagues at JAX who advance AI-driven biomedical research every day and leaders in other sectors, are excited to help chart a path where innovation improves lives and strengthens communities across the state.”

The task force’s final report lays out a collaborative vision for integrating artificial intelligence across the state’s public and private sectors, with specific calls to action, including for a statewide AI literacy campaign to empower residents to navigate the technology’s growing presence in daily life. The report also highlights AI’s potential to boost productivity, spark new industries, and support entrepreneurs, while also acknowledging the need to prepare for workforce disruptions in sectors like manufacturing and professional services.

In education and health care, the task force recommends investing in innovation, educator training, and responsible AI use to improve service delivery and expand access, particularly in rural areas. It also urges proactive measures to address risks such as data privacy, cybersecurity, and deepfakes, advocating for protections that balance safety with opportunity. Finally, the report envisions AI as a tool to modernize state and local government operations, recommending greater transparency and strategic planning to guide its adoption in areas like permitting and infrastructure development.

JAX has used AI to make important recent discoveries, including smart mouse houses, a platform to identify myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome markers and new tools for genetic therapies. With the acquisition of The New York Stem Cell Foundation, JAX is taking the next step toward using AI to create more personalized treatments for patients. By combining human stem cell research with JAX’s strengths in mouse models and advanced computing, JAX researchers will use AI to guide the development of therapies tailored to each individual.