This week, I had the opportunity to speak at a client event about the current state of AI policy and lawmaking in the US. Here are some key takeaways:

Investment & Usage: The 2025 AI Index Report by Stanford’s Institute for Human-Centered AI highlights record investment in AI, with U.S. private AI investment reaching $109 billion in 2024. AI usage in businesses has surged, with 78% of organizations using AI, up from 55% in 2023.

Global Leadership: The US continues to lead in producing top AI models, though Chinese models are rapidly closing the quality gap.

Policy Focus: The US aims to maintain global AI dominance through a continuation of export controls, investment restrictions, and significant government investment in AI infrastructure. However, AI safety and consumer protections are being deprioritized under recent executive orders.

Legislative Activity: States are actively filling the void left by the lack of comprehensive federal AI laws. Over 500 AI-related bills were introduced in the first quarter of 2025, roughly a 20% increase from last year.

Key Themes:

• Transparency: Laws enacted in California and Utah, and under consideration in other states, mandate transparency with respect to training datasets and in connection with consumer interactions with generative AI.
• Employment: The regulation of automated employment decision tools continues to be a hotspot for legislative activity. Several bills pending in NY, NJ, and CA are modeled loosely off NYC’s Local Law 144, which mandates independent bias audits and disclosures in connection with the use of automated employment decision tools.
• Broad AI Bills: With Gov. Youngkin's veto of Virginia's HB2094, Colorado’s AI Act is currently the only state-level overarching AI law. Due to a multitude of factors, the likelihood of another state passing a comprehensive AI law seems slim.

Despite the evolving policy landscape, at BCLP, our focus remains on helping clients balance innovation with responsible AI deployment.

For a comprehensive look at the AI regulatory landscape, check out BCLP's AI Map: https://lnkd.in/g6BcKEjD