27 States Are Trying to Pass 78 Different Laws to Control AI Chatbots Right Now

While the federal government is still figuring out how to spell 'artificial intelligence,' state lawmakers across America are taking matters into their own hands. And they're moving fast.

Just six weeks into the 2026 legislative season, there are already 78 bills targeting AI chatbots alive in 27 different states. That's not a typo. Seventy-eight bills. In less than two months.

Washington State led the charge this week, passing two major AI bills right before their legislature adjourned. One requires AI companies to disclose when you're talking to a bot. The other focuses specifically on protecting kids from AI chatbots, including self-harm protocols and safety requirements. Oregon passed a similar kids' safety bill just last week.

Utah went even bigger, passing nine AI-related bills in a single session. Nine! These cover everything from limiting AI use in schools to protecting people from deepfakes to making sure your doctor's decisions are being made by an actual human and not a machine.

Virginia is in on it too, with three AI bills headed to the governor's desk and more in the pipeline.

And it's not just an American thing. The European Union just took its first step toward making it illegal for AI to generate child abuse material, adding the provision to its existing AI rules.

The message from lawmakers is clear: the Wild West era of AI is ending. Whether the tech companies like it or not, regulation is coming, and it's coming from every direction at once.

As reported by Transparency Coalition AI.

Source: Transparency Coalition AI