A bipartisan group of more than 60 state lawmakers from 32 states published an op-ed Thursday making the case for states to regulate artificial intelligence.
The lawmakers say they are working together on legislation for 2025 and plan to release draft models.
The op-ed, published on the website of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, represents the latest example of state legislators from both sides of the aisle asserting their prerogative to regulate AI. It was authored by members of a multistate working group that has been meeting to learn about AI and develop common definitions for future legislation.
“Recognizing the probability of congressional inaction, state legislators have come together to craft meaningful state-level AI laws,” the lawmakers said in the op-ed. “Despite different political affiliations, we share a commitment to pass meaningful legislation that ensures consumer safety and unlocks the full potential of AI for society.”
In their op-ed, the lawmakers say they are united around ensuring privacy and transparency requirements for AI systems and requiring that there is always human oversight when AI is making important decisions or managing critical infrastructure.
States have taken the lead in regulating AI. More than two dozen have enacted laws restricting pornographic deepfakes. More than a dozen passed laws regulating election-related deepfakes.
Colorado lawmakers this year passed a first-in-the-nation comprehensive AI regulation law aimed at high-risk models. Illinois enacted protections for workers against AI discrimination. Utah passed AI disclosure requirements. California, Illinois and Tennessee passed laws to protect entertainers from having their voice or likeness replicated by AI.
California lawmakers passed more than a dozen other AI laws, including a requirement that AI developers disclose information about the data used to train their models. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) vetoed an AI safety bill.
All told, more than 30 states have adopted AI laws or resolutions; more than half of states are formally studying the technology’s implications; and multiple governors have signed AI executive orders.
State efforts to place guardrails on AI are expected to accelerate in 2025. The Colorado law, for instance, is likely to spawn a dozen or more similar bills in blue states.
In Texas, Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R), a signatory to the op-ed, has drafted a comprehensive AI regulation bill that could become a model for red states.
“Now is the time to act — by working together, we can ensure that AI serves the public good while protecting society from its dangers,” the op-ed said.
It was signed by lawmakers from Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.