The evolving AI regulation space

A preliminary analysis of US state legislations addressing AI, 2024

Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies proliferate, the US federal government has oscillated on related executive orders, and no federal laws have addressed AI comprehensively. However, many states have passed legislations related to AI in the previous 5 years, and these laws are evolving and becoming more targeted, creating challenges and opportunities for government agencies. For this study, we compiled all passed and enacted legislations across the 50 US states in 2024 and examined them in terms of: domains; regulation of AI use in the public sector and industry; and novel topics and issues being addressed. In this preliminary analysis, we find that recent AI legislations are multiplying across US states, but unevenly. AI regulation across states continue to address various domains, including healthcare, education, and now also generative AI and AI-generated content. Legislations are expanding the role of the public sector in AI governance and AI policies, but issues of AI ethics, such as bias, are unevenly addressed across states, and few states have comprehensive AI governance frameworks.