John,
Republicans in Congress are trying to shut down every state’s ability to tackle the real dangers posed by artificial intelligence. Since the beginning of the year, Republicans have attempted to sneak in a dangerous provision to different legislation that would impose a sweeping 10-year ban on state and local governments regulating AI.
If we fail to stop it, this ban would gut states’ authority to protect residents from algorithmic discrimination, AI-driven surveillance, deepfakes, AI-fueled fraud, and automated decision-making affecting every aspect of daily life, from housing to healthcare and workplaces to policing.
The companies spending trillions on developing these systems know when Congress fails to act, the states often step up to fill the void and protect consumers. In fact, state legislatures and attorneys general in Illinois, New York, California, and Maryland are already advancing powerful laws to rein in AI.
Send a direct message to your members of Congress urging them to oppose any provision that would impose a moratorium on AI regulation by state or local legislatures or officials.
Current state and local laws are already targeting AI, from biometric privacy and automated hiring fairness to tenant protections against algorithmic discrimination. The Republicans’ proposed ban would stop those efforts cold. States would lose the power to investigate or intervene.
States would not be able to shape protections, rein in bad actors, or penalize law breakers. The public would be unprotected from automation-fueled exclusion, surveillance, and exploitation — which is exactly what Big Tech wants, and why they launched a $100 million lobbying blitz earlier this year.
Now, Republicans in Congress are preparing to do Big Tech’s bidding and sneak this ban into the must-pass National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). But here’s the good news: They failed last time. The ban was stripped from the big ugly bill after Congress faced massive public pressure. That means we can stop it again.
The Big Tech companies developing AI already have far too much power over our lives. We need regulations in place to keep up with AI development and guard against its potential harms. We need lawmakers to take a stand and refuse to sell out our future to the whims and profit margins of Big Tech.
AI could be a net good for society. Or it could be a wrecking ball. Either way, states and localities must have the power to shape its future and protect their citizens from any potential harm.
Tell Congress to oppose any moratorium on state or local AI regulation.
Thank you for helping to rein in the unbridled power of Big Tech companies to develop AI capabilities without necessary safeguards.
Robert Reich
Inequality Media Civic Action
