Attorney General Nick Brown, alongside 39 other state attorneys general, has expressed opposition to a proposed amendment by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee. The amendment, part of the budget reconciliation bill, seeks to prevent states from enforcing laws related to artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems for a decade.
Brown highlighted concerns about the pace of technological advancement in AI, stating, "At the pace technology and AI moves, limiting state laws and regulations for 10 years is dangerous." He emphasized that if federal oversight is lacking, states should not be restricted from protecting citizens.
The letter from the attorneys general outlines potential risks associated with AI, such as explicit material dissemination and election interference. It stresses that in the absence of federal action, state legislatures have been pivotal in safeguarding against AI misuse. The coalition's letter argues that existing state regulations are carefully crafted through stakeholder input and warns of unforeseen challenges as technology evolves.
If implemented, this amendment would remove crucial state-level protections without establishing a federal regulatory system. The attorneys general caution that this could leave Americans vulnerable to AI-related risks. They urge Congress to reject this moratorium on state-level AI regulation.
The bipartisan group includes representatives from Washington State as well as American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Utah U.S. Virgin Islands Virginia Wisconsin.