Developments in artificial intelligence are moving quickly, and members of Guam’s AI Regulatory Task Force have been advised not to wait for a comprehensive law from Congress before establishing the island’s priorities.
During a task force meeting Monday, Homeland Security Advisor Esther Aguigui said security and policy subcommittees recently met with Kenneth Hardy of the National Governors Association.
Hardy told them that there have been six major executive actions in 18 months, with $5 billion in federal commitments and more than 15 federal agencies mobilized.
Meanwhile, a June executive order directs the federal government to expand AI-enabled cyber defense tools to state and territorial governments, and agencies are developing a cybersecurity clearinghouse where new tools can be reviewed.
“Given Guam's position, a strategic hub whose power, water, and ports and communications have already been targeted by sophisticated actors, we should be first in line, not last, for these tools,” Aguigui said.
While some states are pursuing legislative solutions to protect against deepfakes and privacy violations, the fastest way to keep people safe is to address concerns during the procurement process, Aguigui said.
“As a buyer, the government of Guam can require vendor disclosures, audit rights, data protections, incident reporting, and human review tomorrow, without waiting for a bill,” she said.
Similarly, Pinki Lujan of the Guam Economic Development Authority said Guam should not wait before building AI literacy and modernizing systems so that AI strengthens the workforce rather than disrupts it.
“We have a real opportunity to emerge as the digital gateway of the Pacific, but that will only happen if we approach artificial intelligence with purpose, discipline, and strong governance,” she said.
Committee members stressed that artificial intelligence can help people make decisions, but can’t replace human professionals who are ultimately responsible for those decisions.
Rhonda Padmore-Hill said AI companies are aggressively competing with one another to develop more sophisticated models.
“There's a race to launch and release various models and visions, but along with this rapid market dynamics comes a huge reality check,” she said. “Modern models still carry a baseline 22% hallucination rate. That means roughly one quarter, or nearly one quarter of the time, they can present completely fabricated facts or data with total confidence.”
Aguigui said there’s another item Hardy advised the Guam task force to consider.
“He also flagged data center growth as an infrastructure issue, straining electricity and water,” she said. “On an island grid, that concern is not theoretical.”
