Five ways states want to regulate AI in 2025
Source: Pluribus News
Jan. 21, 2025 — Pluribus News this morning published an excellent overview of the AI action through the first two weeks of state legislative sessions around the country.
Austin Jenkins reports that more than 300 AI-related bills have now been filed across 36 states. The most compelling proposals fall into roughly five categories:
Duty of care / liability: An emerging school of thought, championed by the Transparency Coalition and the Center for Humane Technology, that holding AI companies accountable if something goes haywire via liability rules might more effective than traditional state regulation. Jenkins quotes TCAI Chairman Rob Eleveld: “This product framework today is why we don’t worry about the brakes falling out of our cars, or that aspirin off the shelf won’t poison us,” Eleveld said. “With 120 years of legal precedent behind it, the same legal construct absolutely applies to GenAI products.”
Transparency and disclosure: TCAI is working diligently to craft and pass state laws that implement requirements similar to California’s SB 942 and AB 2013. Those 2024 laws require AI developers to disclose information about training data, and allow users to know when a piece of digital content has been created or manipulated by AI.
Comprehensive legislation: Exhibit A, Texas Rep. Giovanni Capriglione’s (R) 44-page measure “has a little bit of everything,” writes Jenkins, “with the goal of advancing the responsible use of AI, ensuring transparency, and protecting individuals from potential harms, while also encouraging AI investment in Texas.”
Algorithmic discrimination bills: These proposals aim at preventing bias within high-risk AI systems.
AI safety: These bills focus on preventing harmful outcomes such as CSAM and deepfakes.
Read the full Pluribus News story with more state-by-state details here. Pluribus News is the nation’s leading independent news service offering comprehensive coverage of state-level public policy.