White House, Hill relaunch effort to block state AI laws

The White House is negotiating a federal preemption of some state AI laws in exchange for its support of key tech policy priorities from the Hill. The talks are aiming to pair one of the tech industry's top priorities — overriding state AI laws — with legislation aimed at protecting kids online and combating deepfakes. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is leading the negotiations, which include the Kids Online Safety Act and other tech-related measures. The maneuvering between Congress and the White House shows that a bipartisan proposal from Reps. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) isn't the likely vehicle for AI policy in this Congress. That bill would preempt state AI laws for three years, formally establish the Center for AI Standards and Innovation and require certain developers to address risks prior to releasing models.