U.S. state attorneys general sign bipartisan agreement letter urged Congress on Tuesday to “not impose a moratorium on AI” in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The letter expresses concern about the many risks posed by AI, including “scams” and “crazy results from generative AI” that endanger mental health, and AI tools “engaging children in highly inappropriate ways.” He warned that rushing into sweeping federal preemption over state rules could have serious consequences, potentially preventing states from responding quickly to emerging risks. The letter also highlights that many states have already taken steps to close these gaps, with twenty of them having adopted comprehensive data privacy laws. Other states have gone even further, with California enacting the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (TFAIA) in September, demanding developers must adopt numerous transparency, security and accountability measures.
An effort to ban regulation of AI for a period of ten years had already been rejected in a 99-1 Senate vote on an amendment to a budget reconciliation bill in July. House Republicans would considering by adding a similar last-minute measure to NDAAa bill that provides appropriations for “defense-related activities.” In a TruthSocial Publication On November 18, President Trump said that “state overregulation threatens to undermine this engine of growth,” calling for “a single federal standard.” A decree was released Monday under the title “Genesis Mission Launch,” a national effort to usher in a new era of AI-driven innovation and scientific advancement. Additionally, a draft decree is circulating that would create an AI litigation task force “to challenge state AI laws.”
The letter from the attorneys general was echoes by more than 270 state legislators. Executive Director of Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI), Eric Gastfriend, said that the pre-emption measure would face “broad opposition (…) from lawmakers across the political spectrum and consumer protection groups.”
