By Stefani Langehennig
Publication Date: 2025-11-21 13:22:00
When the Colorado Artificial Intelligence Act was passed in May 2024, it made headlines across the country. The law was the first of its kind in the United States. It was a comprehensive attempt to regulate “high-risk” artificial intelligence systems in various industries before they could cause harm in the real world.
Gov. Jared Polis reluctantly signed it — but now, less than a year later, the governor supports a federal pause on state-level AI laws. Colorado lawmakers have delayed the law’s effective date until June 2026 and are seeking to repeal and replace parts of it.
Lawmakers are under pressure from the tech industry, lobbyists and the practicalities surrounding the cost of implementation.
What Colorado does next will determine whether its early move becomes a model for other states or a lesson in the challenges of regulating new technologies.
I study how AI and data science are transforming policymaking and democratic accountability. I’m interested in Colorado’s pioneering achievements…
