AI regulation has accelerated rapidly over the past few years, moving from broad federal policy discussions to more detailed rules emerging at state level.
While the EU pushed ahead with the EU AI Act and the US government introduced new federal guidance under both the Biden and Trump administrations, activity across individual US states has now become a major driver of how AI is governed in practice, claims Saifr.
Employment-related use cases, anti-bias standards, and protections around digital likeness are at the forefront of these developments.
This shift reflects a wider global trend. A Stanford study recently highlighted a 21.3% increase in AI-related regulations across 75 countries, signalling a worldwide effort to ensure that AI is deployed ethically and transparently. In the US, seven states have formally enacted legislation governing the use of AI, while others are in various stages of considering their own rules. The landscape is becoming increasingly fragmented, with each state setting its own requirements around safety, security, consumer protection, and bias mitigation.
California has been one of the most active states. Under CA A.B. 2602, employment agreements cannot enforce provisions that allow employers to create or use a digital replica of a worker’s voice or likeness without explicit consent from the individual or their union. From October 2025, another California rule will bring automated decision-making systems under the Fair Employment and Housing...
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