Key Takeaways:
- Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve society, but it also poses significant risks, including empowering scammers, child sex offenders, and others.
- A national effort led by North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson and Utah Attorney General Derek Brown aims to brainstorm and enforce rules to target the dark side of AI.
- The effort involves attorneys general from multiple states and is a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s executive order threatening to strip federal funding from states that enact new regulations on AI.
- The states are better equipped to tackle big, cutting-edge issues like AI regulation than Congress, according to Jackson and Brown.
- The AI industry should be involved in discussions about new rules for the industry, and insider knowledge could be key to developing effective regulations.
Introduction to AI Regulation
Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize various aspects of our lives, from healthcare to education, and transportation to entertainment. However, as North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson pointed out, "There’s some very promising developments there… But as AGs, we’re also seeing ways that this technology can be abused — voice cloning, deep fakes, AI robocalls." This highlights the need for regulations to prevent the misuse of AI. Jackson and Utah Attorney General Derek Brown are teaming up to lead a national effort to help attorneys general in other states brainstorm and enforce rules to target the dark side of AI.
The Risks of Unregulated AI
The lack of regulations on AI poses significant risks, including the empowerment of scammers, child sex offenders, and others. Brown noted that people are using AI to create fake pornographic images, including of children, which "just highlights the need to create guardrails." If AI continues to be used with essentially no rules, it would likely lead to bigger, more sophisticated scams, according to Jackson. The states are taking a proactive approach to address these concerns, with attorneys general from Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts, and other states joining the effort.
The Role of States in AI Regulation
The effort led by Jackson and Brown is a rebuke of President Donald Trump’s executive order threatening to strip federal funding from states that enact new regulations on AI. Trump believes that economic development will be hurt if companies making AI tools have to follow different rules in different states. However, Jackson and Brown argue that individual states are better equipped to tackle big, cutting-edge issues like AI regulation than Congress. As Jackson noted, "My experience with Congress — looking at social media, looking at internet privacy, even for kids — is that they’re just very unlikely to act, at least until something becomes a major problem." Brown added, "This is a perfect demonstration of, quite frankly, why the 10th Amendment matters… States really are laboratories of democracy. I think we’re faster. We are more nimble."
The Importance of Industry Involvement
The AI industry should be involved in discussions about new rules for the industry, according to Jackson and Brown. Having insider knowledge could be key to developing effective regulations. Jackson said, "The more I talk with folks in the industry, the more I believe we’re all on the same page… We don’t want these harms to our kids. The question is: How do we go about doing this? And hopefully that is what can emerge from this task force." By working together, the states and the AI industry can develop regulations that prevent the misuse of AI while still allowing for innovation and economic growth.
Conclusion
The regulation of AI is a complex issue that requires a collaborative effort from states, the AI industry, and other stakeholders. The national effort led by Jackson and Brown is a significant step towards addressing the risks posed by AI and ensuring that its benefits are realized. As Brown noted, "This just highlights the need to create guardrails." By working together, we can create a safer and more responsible AI ecosystem that benefits society as a whole. The effort is a testament to the importance of state-level regulation and the need for a proactive approach to addressing the challenges posed by emerging technologies like AI.
https://www.wral.com/news/local/nc-utah-attorneys-general-push-ai-regulation-jan-2026/