• Senators revised the AI regulation moratorium from ten years to five, enabling states to enact specific protections.
• Marsha Blackburn emphasized protections for child safety and creators within the new provisions.
• Despite revisions, many lawmakers including Blackburn remain concerned about potential exploitation by Big Tech.

U.S. Senate Republicans, led by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas), agreed on a revised federal moratorium regarding states' ability to regulate artificial intelligence. Initially, the proposal sought a ten-year ban, which has now been reduced to five years, allowing states to implement regulations on child online safety and protect individuals' likenesses without jeopardizing AI infrastructure funding from a new $500 million allotment, according to The Hill, Channel News Asia, and Business Insider.

The controversial provision initially included an outright ban on state-level AI regulation for ten years, but revisions were made amid bipartisan criticism. The latest compromise allows for state regulations addressing child safety and artist protections so long as they do not impose an "undue or disproportionate burden" on AI companies, as highlighted by Business Insider and Channel News Asia.

Despite the changes, leaders like Blackburn have voiced that the amendments still leave room for exploitation by Big Tech, reinforcing their commitment to protect consumers and vulnerable populations. “This provision could allow Big Tech to continue to exploit kids, creators, and conservatives,” Blackburn stated, as reported by Business Insider.

Additionally, skepticism remains among some GOP members, including seventeen governors who called for the provision’s removal, arguing that mishandling AI regulation compromises state rights. “Let states function as the laboratories of democracy they were intended to be,” stated Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, echoing sentiments detailed by Channel News Asia and Business Insider.

After extensive debates and revisions, the Senate ultimately voted to remove the AI provision completely, with a near-unanimous vote of 99-1. This decision stemmed from broader concerns regarding state rights and potential negative ramifications for the ongoing AI competition with countries like China, practices that many lawmakers viewed as detrimental, according to Business Insider.