ALEC commends Rep. Moss and Sen. Cullimore for their leadership on AI policy and their determination to make the Beehive State a new hub for emerging technology innovation. Congratulations!
While some U.S. states continue to pursue over-regulation that threatens America’s global leadership in artificial intelligence (AI), Utah’s legislative leaders earlier this year announced that each state should be responsible for developing AI. We have pioneered a better path forward that can be leveraged to take positive and constructive steps to encourage
Utah SB 149, led by Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore and House Majority Leader Jefferson Moss, was unanimously approved in March 2024, signed by Governor Spencer Cox, and later passed by ALEC. Inspired by the Model National Artificial Intelligence Act. This model policy is now being cited as one of the key policy solutions for 2025.
Utah’s SB 149 focuses on reducing regulatory burdens, rather than trying to regulate “algorithmic bias” or burying AI innovators in regulatory red tape before they can get off the ground. We urge businesses and stakeholders to work with Congress on policies that: Accelerate the development of AI and assess the effectiveness and feasibility of proposed regulations.
To accomplish this, Utah established the nation’s first Artificial Intelligence Learning Institute within the state Department of Commerce. The AI Learning Lab is now live and recently announced that its first case study will be at the intersection of AI and mental health. The lab also accepts applications for deregulation agreements similar to regulatory sandboxes.
Utah law also includes reasonable transparency requirements aimed at notifying consumers when AI is used in a transaction, and importantly, compliance responsibilities are placed on multipurpose AI models. is imposed on an individual rather than the original developer.
Some sources say there are nearly 700 bills in 45 states seeking to regulate AI in some way, with dozens more already pre-filed for the upcoming 2025 legislative session. Rather than burdening the maturing AI sector with punitive regulations, many policymakers have sought free market alternatives to help their states become leaders in this growing field.
ALEC applauds Rep. Moss and Sen. Cullimore for their leadership on AI policy and their determination to make the Beehive State a new hub for emerging innovation. Congratulations!
