Artificial Intelligence (AI)

On September 10, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) released what he called a “light-touch” regulatory framework for federal AI legislation, outlining five pillars for advancing American AI leadership.  In parallel, Senator Cruz introduced the Strengthening AI Normalization and Diffusion by Oversight and eXperimentation (“SANDBOX”) Act (S. 2750), which

Continue Reading Senator Cruz Unveils AI Framework and Regulatory Sandbox Bill

As the California Legislature’s 2025 session draws to a close, lawmakers have advanced over a dozen AI bills to the final stages of the legislative process, setting the stage for a potential showdown with Governor Gavin Newsom (D).  The AI bills, some of which have already passed both chambers, reflect recent trends in state AI

Continue Reading California Lawmakers Advance Suite of AI Bills

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 Orders

On June 22, Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed the Texas Responsible AI Governance Act (“TRAIGA”) (HB 149) into law.  The law, which takes effect on January 1, 2026, makes Texas the second state to enact comprehensive AI consumer protection legislation, following the 2024 enactment of the Colorado AI Act.  Unlike the

Continue Reading Texas Enacts AI Consumer Protection Law

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 Regulation

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 Legislation

In a surprise move, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough ruled that a proposed moratorium on state and local AI laws satisfies the Byrd Rule, the requirement that reconciliation bills contain only budgetary provisions and omit “extraneous” policy language.  While MacDonough’s determination allows the Senate Commerce Committee’s version of the moratorium to remain in the bill, its

Continue Reading Senate Parliamentarian Clears Revised State AI Enforcement Moratorium for Reconciliation Bill, But Passage Remains in Doubt

On June 3, 2025, the OECD introduced a new framework called AI Capability Indicators that compares AI capabilities to human abilities. The framework is intended to help policymakers assess the progress of AI systems and enable informed policy responses to new AI advancements. The indicators are designed to help non-technical policymakers understand the degree of advancement of different AI capabilities. AI researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholder groups, including economists, psychologists, and education specialists, are invited to submit their feedback to the current beta-framework.

Continue Reading OECD Introduces AI Capability Indicators for Policymakers

On May 14, 2025, Covington convened experts across our practice groups for the Fourth Annual Covington Robotics Forum to explore the legal and regulatory risks and opportunities impacting robotics, AI, and connected devices. Eight Covington attorneys discussed global forecasts relevant to these spaces in a highly concentrated 90-minute session, culminating in an Industry Spotlight moderated

Continue Reading Covington Robotics Forum Spotlight – Enhanced Autonomy: Strategies to Navigate New Regulations, Risks & Opportunities

House Republicans have passed through committee a nationwide, 10-year moratorium on the enforcement of state and local laws and regulations that impose requirements on AI and automated decision systems.  The moratorium, which would not apply to laws that promote AI adoption, highlights the widening gap between a wave of new state AI laws and the

Continue Reading House Republicans Push for 10-Year Moratorium on State AI Laws