Artificial intelligence isn't a Silicon Valley buzzword anymore. It's in your doctor's office, your job application portal, and increasingly, in the halls of your state capitol. And lawmakers everywhere are trying to figure out what to do about it, and fast.

We're living through one of the most dynamic stretches in regulatory history. States went from watching AI develop from the sidelines in the early 2020s to full-on racing each other to the podium. In 2025, every single state introduced at least one AI-related bill the first time that's ever happened. Over 100 of those bills became law. That's not a trend. That's a tidal wave.

Some governors have signed executive orders standing up AI task forces and ethical guardrails for how state agencies can use the technology. Others have gone narrower, passing targeted laws around deepfake protections for musicians, AI in hiring decisions, or disclosure rules for political ads. A handful of states are still figuring out which way the wind blows.

And then there's the bigger fight brewing in the background: a genuine power struggle between the Federal government and the states over who actually gets to write the rules. President Trump's executive order in December 2025 made clear the federal government wants one national standard, not fifty different ones. However, the states aren't exactly lining up to hand that authority over.

So what's actually on the books? We went through every gubernatorial executive order, signed piece of legislation, and official government source we could track down to put together the most complete picture of state-level AI policy in the United States. Some of this information may have shifted or changed; keep in mind that executive orders get implemented, laws get amended, and that this area of interest moves fast. But here's the most comprehensive snapshot we could build of where each state stands and the decisions they've made. We'll first take a look at executive orders, followed by legislation:

States with Governor AI Executive Orders

• Alabama - Task Force to Promote Responsible Use of Generative AI
• California - Increased Standards and responsibility of Potential AI Contractors the state may buy from
• Maine - Task Force Established
• Maryland - State to Develop Guardrails to Protect Residents from the Risk of Bias and Discrimination as AI becomes Increasingly useful and common
• Massachusetts - Task Force Established
• Mississippi - Stakeholder Collaboration and Harness AI
• New Jersey - Task Force Established
• North Carolina - AI Leadership Council to advise and support on AI strategy, policy, and training
• Oklahoma - Task Force Established
• Oregon - AI Advisory Council Established
• Pennsylvania - AI Literacy Toolkit & AI Enforcement Task Force
• Rhode Island - Task Force Established & Data Center of Excellence
• Virginia - AI Framework for Responsible Use & Agentic AI Regulatory Review
• Washington - Transparent and Consistent Environment to use GenAI Technology
• Wisconsin - Task Force Established

States with Enacted AI Laws (Signed Legislation)

• Colorado - Consumer Protections in AI Use
• Connecticut - Act Concerning Online Safety (Artificial Intelligence)
• Georgia - SB 540 Conversational AI Disclosure & Child Safety & AI in Election Ads
• Illinois - Employment and AI Use Discrimination Protections
• Michigan - Use of AI Amendment to Penal Code & AI Pilot Program/Governing Board & Fair Employment Practices Regarding AI
• Minnesota - AI “Nudification” Ban & Data Protection and Automated Decision Making
• New York - AI Companion Models Law & Responsible AI Safety and Education Act (or RAISE) & AI Inventory Reporting Law
• Tennessee - Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act of 2024
• Texas - Relating to regulation of the use of artificial intelligence systems in this state; providing civil penalties
• Utah - AI Policy Act

*A Note on Methodology: Not every state appears in this analysis. That's intentional. We only included states where AI-related legislation has been signed into law or where a governor has issued a formal executive order, we didn't want to speculate or report on bills that never crossed the finish line. Everything here has been confirmed through official government sources. That said, this space moves fast, and some details may have shifted since publication.