How Massachusetts Is Building The Next AI Revolution

InnovationAIHow Massachusetts Is Building The Next AI RevolutionByJohn Werner,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I am an MIT Senior Fellow & Lecturer, 5x-founder & VC investing in AIFollow AuthorJun 01, 2026, 06:26pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.100th day of MA AI Coalition John WernerAs graduates across Massachusetts walk across commencement stages this spring, the Massachusetts AI Coalition is marking a milestone of its own: its first 100 days in action.What began as an idea discussed among entrepreneurs, researchers, policymakers, and technology leaders has evolved into a statewide coalition bringing together organizations such as Whoop, HubSpot, Lovable, Blitzy, Jellyfish, and many other innovative companies. I wrote about the coalition’s launch in February, but today the story is no longer about an announcement. It's about execution.Now, as we establish the coalition's tenth working group—Future in Action, which I am honored to help lead—we are focused on a larger question: How can Massachusetts help shape the future of artificial intelligence rather than simply react to it?The answer may lie in our history.Massachusetts Has Seen This BeforeEvery generation faces technologies and opportunities that redefine society. The future is always viewed through the lens of the past.Massachusetts has long been a place where people confronted transformative moments and chose action over passivity. Long before the American Revolution, colonial Boston challenged economic restrictions imposed by the British Crown. When monopolies and centralized control limited local opportunity, Bostonians organized, innovated, and ultimately helped launch a movement that changed the course of history.MORE FOR YOUThe lesson isn't about tea or taxation. It's about agency.When confronted with a defining challenge, this region ha...