February 5, 2024 – Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes led a collective effort with attorney generals from 20 states to express opposition on federal artificial intelligence regulation.
In a letter addressed to Secretary Gina Raimondo of the U.S. Department of Commerce, they objected to the Biden administration’s “Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence,” which aims to centralize government control over the technology in the private sector.
“While there is serious debate as to the best approach to regulate AI, one thing is clear — the Biden administration cannot simply bypass congressional authority to act here,” the letter stated.
The attorney generals argued that any AI regulation must comply with the Constitution, allowing only legal executive actions and protection against government censorship.
“As the administration proceeds to implement the White House AI Executive Order, we will remain vigilant on upholding the rule of law,” Reyes and the other attorney generals wrote.
In the collective response, they said they are committed to ensuring safe AI. They acknowledged the complexity of AI-related issues but stressed that those should be addressed through the democratic process, “not by executive fiat.”
“The administration should work with Congress and states across the political spectrum to find bipartisan solutions that can help our country harness the power of AI and use it for the good of all, rather than only for one political party or specific groups of people,” the letter stated.
Reyes argued against the creation of a gatekeeping function by the federal government to supervise AI development. He stated that government regulation should not introduce political bias by stifling what the administration views as “disinformation.”
Other states that joined Utah in the letter were Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
By Victoria Hill, KUTV
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