Senate debates revised state AI regulation ban

Two key US Republican senators have agreed to a revised federal moratorium on state regulation of artificial intelligence, reducing the duration from 10 to 5 years. The revised version will allow states to adopt rules on child online safety and protecting artists' images or likenesses. Senate Commerce Committee chair Ted Cruz originally proposed blocking states that regulate AI from a $42 billion broadband infrastructure fund. However, the revised version will only restrict states regulating AI from tapping a new $500 million fund to support AI infrastructure. The compromise was announced by Tennessee Sen Marsha Blackburn, a critic of the state AI regulatory moratorium. Under the revised plan, states can regulate issues like protecting artists' voices or child online safety if they do not impose an undue burden on AI. Some states, including Tennessee and Texas, have already passed laws to protect citizens from AI-related issues, such as the use of AI to create fake works or child pornography. Despite the changes, it is unclear if the revised plan will address concerns, as 17 Republican governors have urged the Senate to drop the AI plan. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has voiced his support for the revised measure, calling it a pragmatic compromise, while Sen Maria Cantwell of Washington state has criticized the plan as a giveaway to tech companies. The revised plan is part of a broader effort to regulate AI, an area where Congress has failed to pass meaningful regulations or safety measures in recent years.