Utah has led the nation in regulating artificial intelligence in recent years. Now, that effort is facing pushback from the Trump administration.
In 2024, Utah became the first state to enact legislation specifically aimed at regulating generative AI by requiring companies to disclose when people are interacting with it.
"I rise in support of SB 149," Democratic Rep. Joel Briscoe said during a 2024 floor debate. "I think this is the kind of forward-looking legislation that we sometimes don't see. This is a critical area of making sure that we get it right.”
Those first AI laws in Utah focused on transparency. A proposal this year would have expanded those rules, requiring major AI companies to create safety and child protection plans, along with protections for employees who report concerns.
During a floor debate for the bill, Republican sponsor Rep. Doug Fiefia shared the story of a teenager named Adam who, he said, used an AI chatbot to learn how to end his life.
“This was preventable," he said. "The AI chatbot that Adam used was rushed out to beat a competitor two weeks early. They didn't follow their own safety protocols. They wanted to send a message that they were first to market — and because of that, Adam is no longer here.”
The proposal was ultimately set aside in the House after Republican Majority Leader Casey Snider moved to circle the bill, and it never received a final vote.
Just days earlier, the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs had sent out a statement opposing the bill.
“We are categorically opposed to Utah HB 286," the memo read, "and view it as an unfixable bill that goes against the Administration’s AI Agenda.”
The one-page statement did not provide a legal justification for its opposition.
In response, House Speaker Mike Schultz said lawmakers will continue studying the legislation and that he understands the Trump administration’s concerns.
Meanwhile, in a letter to state officials, advocacy group Parents RISE! criticized what it called “unelected officials in D.C.” for trying to kill a bill it sees as the “bare minimum.”
