Washington’s AG Calls 10-Year Ban on US States Regulating AI ‘Dangerous’
Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown has expressed concerns about a proposed clause in the House Republicans’ tax bill that would prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence for 10 years. Brown, along with over three dozen other attorneys general, believes this ban would be “dangerous.” The provision, added to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s markup, is seen as a significant boon to the AI industry, which has been lobbying for uniform and light-touch regulation.
“At the pace technology and AI moves, limiting state laws and regulations for 10 years is dangerous,” Brown said. “If the federal government is taking a back seat on AI, they should not prohibit states from protecting our citizens.” The clause faces long odds in the U.S. Senate, where procedural rules may prevent its inclusion in the GOP legislation.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) expressed doubts about the clause’s chances, stating, “I don’t know whether it will pass the Byrd Rule. That sounds to me like a policy change.” Senators from both parties have shown interest in regulating AI, but progress has been slow in the divided Congress.
A bipartisan group of state attorneys general, including Brown, sent a letter to Congress opposing the bill. “AI brings real promise, but also real danger, and South Carolina has been doing the hard work to protect our citizens,” said South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson (R). “Now, instead of stepping up with real solutions, Congress wants to tie our hands and push a one-size-fits-all mandate from Washington without a clear direction. That’s not leadership, that’s federal overreach.”
The AI industry is pressing for uniform regulations to compete with Chinese firms. Sam Altman, CEO of ChatGPT maker OpenAI, testified in a Senate hearing that a “patchwork” of AI regulations “would be quite burdensome and significantly impair our ability to do what we need to do.” Altman supported a single federal framework with “light touch” regulation.
The proposal has sparked debate among lawmakers. While some, like Sen. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), see the need for a national framework, others are concerned about preempting state regulations. The future of AI regulation remains uncertain as the debate continues.
