Attorney General William Tong of Connecticut, along with a bipartisan group of 36 attorneys general, has sent a letter to Congress expressing opposition to proposals that would ban state-level laws regulating artificial intelligence (AI). Reports have suggested that such a ban might be included in upcoming military funding legislation. This is not the first time this issue has arisen; a similar proposal was opposed by attorneys general earlier this year.
Attorney General Tong stated, “This legislation is a handout to Big Tech seeking free reign to reshape our society with zero oversight or accountability. Attorneys general are united in staunch opposition to any effort to restrain states’ abilities to pass commonsense AI regulations to fill the vacuum left by federal inaction.”
The coalition recognizes that AI can provide benefits in areas such as health care and public safety. However, they also warn about significant risks associated with the technology. They cite examples where AI has been used to distort reality for vulnerable users, target senior citizens with scams, engage in inappropriate conversations with children, and even encourage self-harm.
According to the group, if Congress were to ban state-level AI laws, it could undermine efforts aimed at protecting residents from these dangers. States have already enacted measures addressing issues such as misinformation spread through AI tools, scam robocalls and texts, deceptive product information, threats to data privacy, and algorithms that manipulate consumer costs.
Attorney General Tong has previously urged major technology companies—including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and others—to implement stronger safeguards against harmful uses of AI assistants and chatbots. He has also called on search engines, banks, and payment platforms to take steps against the creation and distribution of deepfake nonconsensual intimate images.
Instead of restricting state action on AI regulation, the attorneys general urge Congressional leaders to collaborate with them on comprehensive federal protections against harmful uses of artificial intelligence.
The letter was signed by attorneys general from American Samoa, Arizona, California, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont Virgin Islands Washington and Wisconsin.
