Maryland Gov. Moore to announce new AI-powered tool to help community business development

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is set to announce Thursday an expanded, AI-powered tool designed to help local entrepreneurs develop businesses in communities across the state. 

Moore is joining other state officials in providing a preview of the new system at a news conference at 9:30 a.m. in Baltimore. 

The system, called Maryland Community Compass, is a free online platform the state describes as a tool "that helps entrepreneurs start and grow essential-service businesses in the communities that need them most."

The tool builds on the state's former system, known as Maryland Community Business Compass. 

AI abilities aim to improve previous system

A press release from Moore's office said one of the main differences with the state's new system is that it includes enhanced digital abilities created in partnership with AI developer Anthropic.  

The upgraded digital platform "empowers local developers and community leaders with expanded neighborhood-level data insights, new address-level guidance, and over 2,600 funding opportunities including grants, loans, and tax credits required to revitalize neighborhoods with affordable housing, as well as commercial and community spaces," the press release said. 

An earlier announcement about the new system said it would use Anthropic's Claude model to read more than 72,000 web pages to identify assistance programs, gather details on eligibility, deadlines, and contacts and translate complex requirements into plain-English summaries. 

Officials said the AI-powered results "are manually reviewed for consistency before any update goes live to the public."