AG Bonta joined 23 attorneys general in sending a comment letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) opposing the preemption of state laws on artificial intelligence (AI). The letter responds to a notice of inquiry published by the FCC in September that suggested the FCC would attempt to use its regulatory authority to preempt state AI laws and follows the troubling pattern of the Trump Administration attempting to limit states’ ability to protect their residents. In the letter, the attorneys general argue that the FCC lacks authority to preempt and that an attempt to do so would harm state interests. States across the nation are concerned about the President’s proposal to squash their right to protect their residents and have previously sounded the alarm about the importance of preserving the ability of states to pass laws that address AI.

“States — with our flexibility and responsiveness to the market, changing technology, and the needs of our residents — are on the front lines of consumer protection, including when it comes to emerging technology. We take this job seriously. The Trump Administration’s questioning of whether states should be able to regulate AI to protect consumers — under the guise of the FCC’s interest in wireless telecommunications efficiency — is a dangerous overreach of their authority. I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again: I strongly oppose any effort to block states from developing and enforcing common-sense AI regulation. As the fourth largest economy in the world, California knows that states can both nurture evolving innovation and protect our residents — we have been doing so for decades.” – AG Bonta