House Republicans pushed forward this week with a bid to ban state regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), sparking debate among the tech community and lawmakers over its implications for the emerging tech.

The proposal passed the House on Thursday morning as part of a sweeping tax and spending bill. Now, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate in the wake of procedural rules and potential resistance from some GOP senators.

What to know

The proposal, tucked into President Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill,” calls for a 10-year moratorium on state laws regulating AI models, systems or automated decision systems. This includes enforcement of existing and future laws on the state level.

Proponents of the moratorium argue a patchwork of state laws can be confusing or burdensome for technology companies to follow when operating in multiple parts of the country.

“Right now, there are over a thousand bills on the topic of AI regulation pending in state legislatures across the country,” Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) said during the House Energy and Commerce Committee's markup of the measure.

“Imagine how difficult it would be for a federal agency that operates in all 50 states to have to navigate this labyrinth of regulation when we potentially have 50 different states going 50 different directions on the topic of AI regulation,” Obernolte adding, referring to the ongoing push to incorporate AI into federal agencies.

“This is exactly the same circumstances that we are putting private industry in as they attempt to deploy AI," he added.

The bill includes some exemptions for states’ enforcement of laws focused on promoting AI development.

This includes regulations that seek to remove barriers or facilitate the use of AI models and systems or those focused on streamlining processes like licensing or permitting to help AI adoption.

The push aligns with the Trump administration’s broader pro-innovation agenda that prioritizes technology development over regulations that hamper U.S. innovation and competitiveness.

Vice President Vance

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