By Martin A. Perryman

According to a report from the Common Sense Institute, a nonpartisan Colorado think-tank, the Centennial State has quietly become one of America’s great technology stories. At a time when most others are still arguing about how to begin, this year, we became the first state in the country to pass a comprehensive artificial intelligence law. The federal side of things is not much better — more than 150 AI-related bills were introduced in Congress during the past two years, yet not a single one passed. Here in Colorado, we didn’t wait like everyone else. We acted.

Our leadership on AI is paying off. Our state now ranks third in the nation for tech sector concentration, which is living proof innovation is part of our DNA. And every new tech job created here supports another 2.67 jobs across other industries, from construction to hospitality to education. Venture capitalists have noticed, making Colorado fifth in the nation for venture-capital investment, with funds pouring into AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity startups.

We are also one of the fastest-growing states for AI-related employment, ranking 14th nationally for AI job postings and accounting for roughly 14% of all job growth in 2024.

In other words, Colorado isn’t just participating in the AI era. We’re helping to build it. And for those of us who served in uniform, that leadership isn’t just about jobs or ensuring robust innovation. It’s also about national security. America’s economic strength and technological superiority are what keep our adversaries, from Beijing to Moscow, in check.

That’s why Attorney General Phil Weiser’s decision to fight the federal government’s approval of the Hewlett Packard Enterprise–Juniper Networks merger is so troubling.

By siding against a merger of a company with offices in Colorado, which U.S. intelligence officials and the Department of Justice deemed essential to national competitiveness, Weiser is undercutting the very technological edge that keeps our state and country safe. He’s trying to get a judge to unwind the Department of Justice and intelligence community’s hard work.

The combined company would strengthen our ability to compete with Chinese telecom giant Huawei, whose government-backed networks dominate much of the developing world and increasingly power artificial intelligence infrastructure abroad.

HPE and Juniper make the routers, servers and secure networking systems AI systems need. If Colorado wants to remain a hub for AI development, from university labs in Boulder to fast-growing data centers in Aurora and Colorado Springs, then America needs strong, stable companies building that backbone.

Colorado’s AI success came about because our leaders, on both sides of the aisle, built an environment where innovation could thrive: strong universities, sensible regulation and collaboration between the public and private sectors. The HPE–Juniper merger represents exactly that kind of collaboration. Blocking it doesn’t protect consumers; it protects foreign competitors who would love to see American firms sidelined.

As a Democrat, I believe in responsible oversight and corporate accountability. But I also believe in results. For Colorado to keep leading in AI, its policymakers must understand the difference between regulation that protects people and regulation that paralyzes progress and undermines national security. Weiser’s challenge to the HPE–Juniper merger could slow job growth, weaken our AI infrastructure, and slide tech investments out of here at a time when Colorado’s leadership in AI should be increasing.

From my years in the service, I learned strength deters conflict. The same principle applies here: if America leads in AI, we shape the future. If we fall behind, China will.

Colorado can stay on the cutting edge of this tech race, but only if our elected officials choose progress over politics. Our innovation ecosystem — our jobs, our research and our future — depend on it.

Martin A. Perryman, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is a Colorado defense and foreign policy expert. He served as an Army foreign area officer with operational assignments to the Pentagon, Central Command and European Command. Following retirement from the Army, he worked closely with host nation defense and security forces executing multiple installation projects for security scanning equipment internationally. He currently is providing contract support to the International Partners Division of Space Systems Command, a major command of U.S. Space Force.