Pennsylvania Attorney General Defends State AI Laws Against Trump Order

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced he will defend state-level artificial intelligence regulations against legal challenges from the Trump administration. The move follows an executive order signed by Donald Trump that created a federal AI task force under the U.S. Attorney General to block state laws deemed too burdensome for innovation.

Trump's order aims to ensure U.S. AI companies can innovate for global dominance by removing cumulative state regulations. However, the order excludes child safety protections, AI infrastructure, and government AI use from prosecution. This exception potentially shields Pennsylvania laws against AI-generated underage pornography, though statutes regarding nonconsensual deepfakes remain vulnerable to federal challenges.

Sunday, a Republican, has joined more than 40 other state attorneys general in urging developers such as OpenAI, Google, Meta, and Microsoft to implement stronger safety safeguards. State Representative Joe Ciresi and State Senator Tracy Pennycuick also oppose the federal ban, arguing that state action is essential to combat misinformation in political campaigns and protect residents in the absence of clear federal guidelines.