Missouri AI regulations stall as lawmakers fear loss of rural broadband funds

The promise and peril of artificial intelligence have been a recurring theme for Missouri lawmakers as they debate safeguards on campaign advertisements, companion chatbots, and mental health therapy that use the technology. But efforts to enact regulations in Missouri stalled in the state Senate amid fears the legislation could jeopardize nearly $900 million in remaining federal broadband funds for rural internet expansion. The underlying bill, sponsored by state Sen Joe Nicola (R-MO), would specify that liability for harm caused by an AI system always resides with a person or organization—whether it’s the company that designed and created the system or an individual who used it. Courts would decide where liability lies in specific cases. The bill would also prohibit AI from being granted legal personhood. People would be prohibited from marrying an AI partner, and AI could not own property or be an officer of a corporation. However, debate surrounding the bill turned quickly to broadband funding, with lawmakers warning that the bill could run afoul of President Trump and jeopardize federal money for rural high-speed internet access.