On September 29, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law SB 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (“TFAIA”), establishing public safety regulations for developers of “frontier models,” or large foundation AI models trained using massive amounts of computing power. TFAIA is the first frontier model safety legislation in the country to
Continue Reading California Governor Signs Landmark AI Safety Legislation
NIST Welcomes Comments for AI Standards Zero Drafts Project
On July 29, 2025, the National Institute of Standards & Technology (“NIST”) unveiled an outline for preliminary, stakeholder-driven standards, known as a “zero draft”, for AI testing, evaluation, verification and validation (“TEVV”). This outline is part of NIST’s AI Standards Zero Drafts pilot project, which was announced on March 25, 2025, as we previously reported. The goal is to create a flexible, high-level framework for companies to design their own AI testing and validation procedures. Of note, NIST is not prescribing exact methods for testing and validation. Instead, it offers a structure around key terms, lifecycle stages, and guiding principles that align with future international standards. NIST has asked for stakeholder input on the topics, scope, and priorities of the Zero Drafts process, and feedback is open until September 12, 2025.
The NIST outline breaks AI TEVV into several foundational elements, a non-exhaustive list of which includes:Continue Reading NIST Welcomes Comments for AI Standards Zero Drafts Project
Trump Administration Issues AI Action Plan and Series of AI Executive Orders
On July 23, the White House released its AI Action Plan, outlining the key priorities of the Trump Administration’s AI policy agenda. In parallel, President Trump signed three AI executive orders directing the Executive Branch to implement the AI Action Plan’s policies on “Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government,” “Accelerating Federal Permitting of
Continue Reading Trump Administration Issues AI Action Plan and Series of AI Executive OrdersCalifornia Frontier AI Working Group Issues Final Report on Frontier Model Regulation
On June 17, the Joint California Policy Working Group on AI Frontier Models (“Working Group”) issued its final report on frontier AI policy, following public feedback on the draft version of the report released in March. The report describes “frontier models” as the “most capable” subset of foundation models, or a class of general-purpose technologies
Continue Reading California Frontier AI Working Group Issues Final Report on Frontier Model RegulationNew York Legislature Passes Sweeping AI Safety Legislation
On June 12, the New York legislature passed the Responsible AI Safety & Education (“RAISE”) Act (S 6953), a frontier model public safety bill that would establish safeguard, reporting, disclosure, and other requirements for large developers of frontier AI models. If signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul (D), the RAISE Act would
Continue Reading New York Legislature Passes Sweeping AI Safety LegislationTrump Administration Seeks Public Comment on AI Action Plan
On February 6, the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy (“OSTP”) and National Science Foundation (“NSF”) issued a Request for Information (“RFI”) seeking public input on the “Development of an Artificial Intelligence Action Plan.” The RFI marks a first step toward the implementation of the Trump Administration’s January 23 Executive Order 14179, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence” (the “EO”). Specifically, the EO directs Assistant to the President for Science & Technology (and OSTP Director nominee) Michael Kratsios, White House AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks, and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz to “develop and submit to the President an action plan” to achieve the EO’s policy of “sustain[ing] and enhance[ing] America’s global AI dominance” to “promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security.” Continue Reading Trump Administration Seeks Public Comment on AI Action Plan
NIST Report and Recommendations on Fostering Development of the Internet of Things
On October 22, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) Internet of Things (“IoT”) Advisory Board released the Internet of Things Advisory Board Report, which concludes that IoT development has progressed more slowly than anticipated and identifies 26 findings that explain the slower pace of development and growth. The Report offers 104 recommendations on how the government can help foster IoT development. The Advisory Board provided this report to the IoT Federal Working Group emphasizing that an IoT transformation will boost U.S. economic growth, increase public safety and national resilience, create a more sustainable planet, individualize healthcare, foster equitable quality of life and well-being, and facilitate autonomous operations of our national infrastructure. For background, the IoT Federal Working Group was established by Congress in 2020 and was charged with identifying policies and statutes inhibiting IoT development and consider recommendations of the Advisory Board. Continue Reading NIST Report and Recommendations on Fostering Development of the Internet of Things
Tennessee Enacts Legislation to Protect Musicians from AI-Generated Voice Impersonations
State lawmakers across the country continue to pursue new legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (“AI”), and especially the creation and distribution of AI-generated content (sometimes referred to as “deepfakes,” “synthetic content,” or “fabricated media”). On March 21, 2024, Tennessee’s governor signed the Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act (“ELVIS Act”) (HB 2091), marking a new push by state lawmakers to protect the commercial interests of artists and musicians from AI-generated impersonations.Continue Reading Tennessee Enacts Legislation to Protect Musicians from AI-Generated Voice Impersonations
Department of Commerce Issues Proposed Rule to Regulate Infrastructure-as-a-Service Providers and Resellers
On January 29, 2024, the Department of Commerce (“Department”) published a proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) to require providers and foreign resellers of U.S. Infrastructure-as-a-Service (“IaaS”) products to (i) verify the identity of their foreign customers and (ii) notify the Department when a foreign person transacts with that provider or reseller to train a large artificial intelligence (“AI”) model with potential capabilities that could be used in malicious cyber-enabled activity. The proposed rule also contemplates that the Department may impose special measures to be undertaken by U.S. IaaS providers to deter foreign malicious cyber actors’ use of U.S. IaaS products. The accompanying request for comments has a deadline of April 29, 2024.Continue Reading Department of Commerce Issues Proposed Rule to Regulate Infrastructure-as-a-Service Providers and Resellers
Covington’s Fifth Annual Technology Forum – Looking Ahead: New Legal Frontiers for the Tech Industry
Technology companies are grappling with unprecedented changes that promise to accelerate exponentially in the challenging period ahead. We invite you to join Covington experts and invited presenters from around the world to explore the key issues faced by businesses developing or deploying cutting-edge technologies. These highly concentrated sessions are packed with immediately actionable advice. Each day closes with an industry spotlight, providing insights from leading tech authorities. This year’s industry spotlights will feature:
- Dennis Garcia, Assistant General Counsel, Microsoft – Emerging Trends for AI in Latin America
- Janel Thamkul, Deputy General Counsel, Anthropic – The Frontier Model Landscape
- Eric Sprink, CEO, Coastal Community Bank – Developments in the Regulatory Landscape