Senate one step closer to passing 10-year halt on state AI regulation

Some states have already passed stringent AI legislation, including New York’s Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act and Colorado’s Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence. These laws are “prime examples of costly mandates that could be covered by the moratorium,” says Adam Thierer, senior fellow for the Technology and Innovation team at the R Street Institute. Moreover, in the absence of the moratorium, Thierer says “a parochial patchwork of rules will burden innovation, investment, and competition in robust nationwide AI systems.” Thierer prefers outright federal preemption over the current proposal, but is hopeful that state lawmakers will think twice about imposing costly AI mandates when they stand to lose federal grants for doing so.