California

Introduction: The States Lead on AI Regulation # While Congress debates, states are acting. In the absence of comprehensive federal AI legislation, state legislatures have become the primary source of AI regulation in the United States. The result is a rapidly evolving patchwork of laws that creates compliance challenges, and liability exposure, for organizations deploying AI.

California was the first state to approve regulatory guidance for attorney use of generative AI, releasing its “Practical Guidance for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Practice of Law” in November 2023. The California State Bar has characterized this guidance as “guiding principles rather than best practices,” reflecting the rapidly evolving nature of AI technology.