In a significant move, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to remove a proposed 10-year ban on state regulation of artificial intelligence from President Trump's tax-cut and spending bill.…
In a significant move, the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to remove a proposed 10-year ban on state regulation of artificial intelligence from President Trump's tax-cut and spending bill. The amendment, introduced by Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, passed with a 99-1 vote, signaling a shift in the approach to AI governance.
This decision allows states to retain the authority to regulate AI within their jurisdictions, a move that has implications for the development and deployment of AI technologies across the country. The original bill, as proposed, would have restricted states' ability to regulate AI, potentially hindering their access to a $500 million fund earmarked for AI infrastructure support.
The removal of this ban indicates a willingness to allow states to address various concerns related to AI, such as consumer protection, deepfakes, and autonomous vehicle safety. This decision was met with praise from Democrats, who emphasized the importance of protecting state consumer protection laws.
Major AI companies, including Alphabet's Google and OpenAI, had previously expressed support for federal preemption of AI regulation to avoid a patchwork of state-specific rules. However, the Senate's decision reflects a counter-argument, with several Republican governors urging Congress to abandon the moratorium.
This shift allows states to protect their citizens from the potential harms of unregulated AI, as stated by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Senator Blackburn's amendment to strike the provision came after she withdrew her support for a compromise that would have reduced the ban to five years and allowed states to regulate certain issues.
Blackburn cited the need for federal legislation, such as the Kids Online Safety Act and an online privacy framework, before restricting states' ability to protect their citizens. The Senate later passed the tax bill on a 51-50 vote, with the AI regulation component removed.