State lawmakers across the United States are grappling with the complex challenge of regulating artificial intelligence, a burgeoning technology poised to reshape the economy. This localized push for AI governance frequently places them at odds with the federal government, which advocates for a single national standard to avoid stifling innovation in a global competition with nations like China. With Congress showing little progress on the issue, state legislatures have become the primary battleground for addressing public concerns about AI.

In Utah, Republican State Representative Doug Fiefia, a former Google employee now running for state senator, has made AI regulation a centerpiece of his campaign. Fiefia, who witnessed firsthand the priorities of Big Tech, believes companies are more concerned with their bottom line than with the broader societal impact of AI. His proposed state legislation, which included child safety protocols, passed a House committee unanimously but was ultimately blocked by the Trump administration, which argued it was "unfixable" and threatened to handicap American innovation.

The Trump administration has consistently tried to preempt state-level AI policies, even issuing an executive order that included legal threats and funding penalties against new regulations. While the White House recently released a framework for potential congressional legislation that would allow some rules to protect children and copyright material, it still calls for preempting state laws deemed "too burdensome."

Despite federal resistance, the number of state legislative proposals addressing AI has surpassed 1,000, reflecting a widespread uneasiness across the country. A Quinnipiac poll indicated that about 80% of Americans are concerned or very concerned about AI, with roughly three-quarters believing the government is not doing enough to regulate the technology. Popular ideas for state regulations include requiring chatbots to disclose their non-human nature and prohibiting the use of AI to create nonconsensual pornography by manipulating images.

States with diverse political landscapes are taking action. In Florida, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has added AI to a special legislative session, having previously pushed for a bill to implement parental controls for minors using AI and to ban the use of a person's likeness without permission. Democratic-controlled states like New York and California have passed significant regulations; New York's law, authored by former data scientist Alex Bores, requires major AI developers to report dangerous incidents, while California's provisions focus on the disclosure of catastrophic risks. Conversely, AI bills in Republican-led Louisiana and Missouri have stalled due to Trump administration resistance.

A loose network of former tech employees, now state lawmakers, is at the forefront of this regulatory push. Fiefia co-chairs the AI task force of the Future Caucus with Monique Priestley, a Vermont Democrat who also has a tech background. This group shares ideas and strategies, often contending with an "army of full-time lobbyists" from the tech industry. Alex Bores, the New York Democrat responsible for his state's AI law, is currently facing significant industry backlash in his congressional primary, with a pro-AI campaign committee spending millions against his candidacy, an effort he believes is designed to intimidate others from pursuing regulation.

Fiefia's primary opponent for the state Senate, Daniel McCay, represents a contrasting view, expressing skepticism about the need for extensive AI regulation. McCay believes that historical technological advancements like fire or the internet did not ruin society and that overly burdensome regulations would drive Utah out of the AI innovation business. However, Fiefia maintains his principled stance on states' rights, arguing that it's crucial to stand up for state autonomy even when defying an administration of his own party, particularly when he disagrees with a "zero regulations" approach to AI.