Maryland’s new AI Innovation Lab to help state agencies adopt, experiment with tech

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore announced the launch last week of an AI Innovation Lab, a new initiative that aims to equip state agencies with the tools to adopt and experiment with the emerging technology across their operations.

The lab, which will be housed within Maryland’s Department of Information Technology, will give the state’s agencies access to a controlled sandbox environment for securely testing AI tools. They will also have access to ready-to-use software packages through the lab that will help them rapidly build and prototype those solutions. 

Some of those solutions include a tech stack to power chatbots, architecture sessions to try new AI offerings and access to the state’s first AI red-teaming service, which is a testing process where security professionals act as hackers to probe AI systems, stress-testing them to ensure the product’s security.

The Innovation Lab’s team will be composed of state employees with AI expertise, and they will provide hands-on training to support agencies and assist in transitioning the lab’s AI pilots into ongoing AI products that agencies will grow. It will be led by Pat McLoughlin, who has served as executive director of the Maryland Benefits Platform — a public-facing online portal for residents to access essential benefits and the state’s largest IT asset.

“By anchoring the Lab within the Maryland Benefits Platform, the State ensures AI development is supported by well-managed, well-architected systems that enable reliable and scalable innovation. provide hands-on training to support agencies, test vulnerabilities pre-deployment, and transition the Lab’s AI pilots into ongoing AI products that agencies will grow,” a Thursday news release said.

The AI Innovation Lab will also support key strategic initiatives, including the Governor’s Modernization Initiative that was kicked off in January 2025, and follow Maryland’s Responsible AI Policy, the statewide framework governing AI systems used by the state. The lab will also build on the state’s partnership with Anthropic to use the company’s AI tools in an effort to reduce child poverty, improve housing access and streamline processes.

“Maryland is leveraging AI to make our government faster, smarter, and more efficient—from tackling complex challenges like child poverty and housing access to saving taxpayers millions through smarter fleet management,” Moore said. “By launching the AI Innovation Lab, we are not just leading the nation in the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence, we are delivering revolutionary results directly to Marylanders.”