Sen. Pennycuick, Rep. Merski speak at Digital PA Summit: Auditing and regulating algorithms; Upgrading critical infrastructure

By Sean Guay

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania — An array of keynote speakers and panelists convened today at the Digital Pennsylvania Summit in the Harrisburg Hilton Ballroom to discuss innovation, technology, and infrastructure. Generative AI improvements, sophisticated system attacks, upgrading critical infrastructure, and other points were described in detail.

Keynote speaker Senator Pennycuick of Montgomery/ Berks described her legislation to propose “regulatory sandboxes” in the state. Senator Rothman and Senator Pennycuick have introduced Senate Bill 939 to allow “regulatory sandboxes,” to establish Pennsylvania as the premier destination for data center and Artificial Intelligence (AI) development. Senator Pennycuick said, “Regulatory sandboxes are controlled test beds for new technologies where companies can experiment with modern ideas without oversight, providing temporary flexibility from certain rules.

@jim.bleeze

“Sandboxes get government out of the way so new ideas can flourish.” hbg100.com Speaking at the Digital Pennsylvania Summit in the Harrisburg Hilton Ballroom today, Senator Pennycuick described her legislation to propose regulatory sandboxes in the state. Senator Rothman and Senator Pennycuick have introduced Senate Bill 939 to allow “regulatory sandboxes,” to establish Pennsylvania as the premier destination for data center and Artificial Intelligence (AI) development. Senator Pennycuick said, “Regulatory sandboxes are controlled test beds for new technologies where companies can experiment with modern ideas without oversight, providing temporary flexibility from certain rules. “The initiative comes as many countries across the world experiment with sandboxes in finance, health care, and now AI. The evidence suggests that this approach can work if designed with transparency, enforcement, and public safe guards in mind.

♬ original sound – Jim Bleeze

“The initiative comes as many countries across the world experiment with sandboxes in finance, health care, and now AI. The evidence suggests that this approach can work if designed with transparency, enforcement, and public safe guards in mind.”

She also described Act 35 to regulate AI deep fakes while protecting First Amendment. Senator Pennycuick said, “In addition, we passed legislation that was signed into law as Act 35 of 2025 to classify deep fakes and other forms of digital impersonation as digital forgeries punishable by law. We’ve seen criminals impersonating loved ones to swindle the elderly, fabricate political videos and calls intent on fraudulently and fraudulently misleading and misinforming voters, a malicious digital content targeting celebrities and private citizens alike. This law gives law enforcement the tool they need to fight the digital deception, but it does so in a responsible way to respect the First Amendment and preserve valid expressions of parody, satire, and other forms of free expression.”

During the first panel of the summit, titled, ‘Driving innovation across the Commonwealth,’ Jim Weaver described preparing for an infrastructure attack on the water cooling system of the former Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant. Panelist James Yurko described preparing for infrastructure and network attacks at major events coming to Pennsylvania in 2026.

Panelist state Rep. Merski of Erie discussed the importance of technology in agricultural, being the number one industry in Pennsylvania, as well as auditing internet algorithms to develop standards and regulations for algorithms.

Speakers also described in detail the emergence of more sophisticated AI attacks on our local government and higher education systems from China, as well as the need to improve our legacy infrastructure of water and electric. The second panel of the summit discussed upgrading critical infrastructure in Pennsylvania.

@jim.bleeze

Speaking at the Digital Pennsylvania Summit in the Harrisburg Hilton Ballroom today, state Rep. Merski of Erie discussed the importance of technology in agricultural, being the number one industry in Pennsylvania, and auditing internet algorithms to develop standards and regulations for algorithms. Algorithm Audits and Standards for Algorithms: Rep. Merski said, “From a policy perspective, we would like to explore is who’s looking at algorithms. Because that’s where you’re gonna get into the disparity and the lack of diversity. We wanna look at who’s getting fed and what. That’s one of the things that I think is important. The other thing we’re looking at any kind of law with artificial intelligence that I know we’re going to make is to give everything a five year review to have these provisions sunset after five years so that we can look at them and see what we need to change, what we need to adapt. Because the technology is changing, but also we’re changing as, and as humans as we adapt to the technology around us.. ..and they’re doing a lot more of this in Europe than In the United States. I know a lot of the business sector doesn’t like regulation per se, but I think it’s very important that we have some standards for these algorithms, and that we have some standards for reviewing on a semi regular basis the policies that we’re putting out and the laws that we’re putting out regarding technology.”

♬ original sound – Jim Bleeze

Algorithm Audits and Standards for Algorithms:

Rep. Merski said, “From a policy perspective, we would like to explore is who’s looking at algorithms because that’s where you’re gonna get into the disparity and the lack of diversity. We wanna look at who’s getting fed and what. That’s one of the things that I think is important. The other thing we’re looking at any kind of law with artificial intelligence that I know we’re going to make is to give everything a five year review to have these provisions sunset after five years so that we can look at them and see what we need to change, what we need to adapt. Because the technology is changing, but also we’re changing as, and as humans as we adapt to the technology around us..

..and they’re doing a lot more of this in Europe than In the United States. I know a lot of the business sector doesn’t like regulation per se, but I think it’s very important that we have some standards for these algorithms, and that we have some standards for reviewing on a semi regular basis the policies that we’re putting out and the laws that we’re putting out regarding technology,” said Rep. Merski.