{"slug": "operating-from-a-position-of-delusion-virginia-gov-abigail-spanberger-slammed-ai", "title": "‘Operating From a Position of Delusion’: Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger Slammed After Issuing Directive Against AI", "summary": "Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger issued Executive Directive 6, directing the state's Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and Virginia's AI Task Force to hold regular briefings with AI technology companies, researchers and regulators to evaluate cybersecurity risks and develop mitigation strategies. Spanberger said AI is developing too quickly and criticized the federal government and Congress for failing to adequately address the dangers, calling the directive the beginning of efforts to strengthen Virginia's security. The announcement drew mostly negative replies on X, with users questioning taxes, the state's continued expansion of data centers, and whether forming a committee amounted to action.", "body_md": "Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger recently issued a new executive directive to improve the state’s cybersecurity in response to threats posed by artificial intelligence. However, the announcement was not entirely well received on social media, as the governor of [Virginia](https://thenerdstash.com/tag/virginia/) faced some criticism over the decision.\n\nThe news was originally shared on the Virginia governor’s official X profile. Spanberger stated that AI was developing too quickly and that the moment demanded leadership and coordination to address cybersecurity threats, as advances in technology are making cyberattacks cheaper and easier to carry out.\n\nShe also criticized the federal government and Congress for failing to adequately address these dangers and said this was only the beginning of efforts to strengthen Virginia’s security.\n\n[Executive Directive 6](https://www.governor.virginia.gov/media/governorvirginiagov/governor-of-virginia/pdf/ed/ED-6-va-cyber-threats-ai-preparedness.pdf) instructs the state’s Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security and Virginia’s AI Task Force to hold regular briefings with AI technology companies, as well as researchers and regulators. The goal is to evaluate risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.\n\n## Spanberger’s New Directive Sparks Skepticism\n\nWhile the directive was arguably part of an effort to make Virginia safer from cyberattacks, the announcement was poorly received, and most comments on X were negative. Users complained about various perceived issues, including taxes. “A*re you raising our taxes for that as you did on everything else*,” one user wrote.\n\nOthers complained about mixed messaging: *“And yet you continue your rapid expansion of data centers. The mixed messaging continues. Do you even know what you stand for?”*\n\nTo some folks, however, the problem was that Spanberger kept announcing initiatives to consider solutions instead of simply solving them: *“Once again you announce the forming of a committee to develop a plan as if it’s actual action.”*\n\nSome people also expressed skepticism: *“Solid first step, but she’s still operating from a position of delusion if she really believes that Congressional action could prevent cyberattacks. You can’t stop open source models any more than you can stop peer-to-peer file sharing. Defense is all there is.”*\n\nNot every reaction was negative, however. One person wrote: *“Good to see at least one Governor saying this!”*\n\nIt remains to be seen how the plan will affect Virginia’s cybersecurity as technology continues to develop and pose new risks to public safety.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/operating-from-a-position-of-delusion-virginia-gov-abigail-spanberger-slammed-ai", "canonical_source": "https://thenerdstash.com/operating-from-a-position-of-delusion-virginia-gov-abigail-spanberger-slammed-after-issuing-directive-against-ai/", "published_at": "2026-10-24 16:00:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-10-24 16:12:58.757553+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["ai-policy", "ai-safety"], "entities": ["Abigail Spanberger", "Virginia", "Virginia AI Task Force", "Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security", "Congress"], "also_reported_by": [], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/operating-from-a-position-of-delusion-virginia-gov-abigail-spanberger-slammed-ai", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/operating-from-a-position-of-delusion-virginia-gov-abigail-spanberger-slammed-ai.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/operating-from-a-position-of-delusion-virginia-gov-abigail-spanberger-slammed-ai.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/operating-from-a-position-of-delusion-virginia-gov-abigail-spanberger-slammed-ai.jsonld"}}