Artificial Intelligence Regulation

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D‑Mass.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D‑Mass.), joined by Reps. Yvette Clarke (D‑N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D‑Wash.) and Summer Lee (D‑Pa.), reintroduced the AI Civil Rights Act last week to curb biased and discriminatory AI systems, with civil‑rights groups backing the effort. Pressley also used a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Wednesday to argue that AI trained on biased data can exacerbate racial inequities and called for oversight and protections.

President Trump signed an executive order directing the Justice Department to create an "AI Litigation Task Force" — coordinating with the FTC and FCC — to sue states over what the White House calls "onerous" AI laws, while the Commerce Department must compile a list of problematic state rules and study whether federal rural broadband and other grant funding can be withheld from states with unfavorable AI laws. The order carves out certain child‑safety and government‑procurement measures and cites states with cross‑sector AI statutes (Colorado, California, Utah, Texas), but experts and state officials warn it will prompt extensive litigation and that broad preemption likely requires congressional action.