In Utah and across the U.S., state lawmakers like Republican Doug Fiefia, a former Google employee turned politician, are pushing for stronger artificial intelligence (AI) regulations amid growing public concern. Fiefia’s campaign centers on regulating AI to protect children and ensure safety, but his efforts have clashed with the Trump administration, which opposes state-level rules in favor of a single national standard to avoid hindering innovation. Despite federal resistance, over 1,000 state legislative proposals on AI have emerged, reflecting widespread unease about the technology’s risks and the lack of comprehensive federal action.

This state-level push for AI oversight is bipartisan, with Democratic-led states like New York and California passing significant laws, and Republican-led states such as Florida considering measures on parental controls and consent for AI use of likenesses. Former tech workers-turned-lawmakers, including Fiefia and Democrat Alex Bores, are leading these efforts but face intense lobbying from the tech industry. The battle over AI regulation highlights tensions between innovation, public safety, and political ideology, with some Republicans skeptical of regulation and others, like Fiefia, advocating for state rights and stronger protections despite opposition from their party’s national leadership.