AI policy, regulation and law news

California bars firing or disciplining workers by AI alone

Newsom signed the No Robo Bosses Act with a dozen other bills on September 30. From July 2027, a human must check any discipline or firing that leans mainly on an automated system, and workers must be told in writing.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 947, the “No Robo Bosses Act”, on September 30, along with 12 other bills his office grouped as AI and worker protections. From July 1, 2027, California employers may not rely solely on an automated decision system to discipline or fire workers. When such a system was the main basis, a human must corroborate the decision, and the worker must get a written notice.

Why it matters

The law does not ban software that scores workers. But it puts a person back into decisions to discipline or fire, and lets workers see the data used about them. It does not cover hiring, and it starts only in July 2027.

4 min read 4 sources

Policy & LawOct 1

Connecticut’s AI rules on layoffs and whistleblowers start

From October 1, employers must say whether AI played a part in mass layoffs, and makers of the biggest AI models may not punish staff who warn of catastrophic risks. AI subscriptions and AI-made media get new rules too.

Large parts of Connecticut’s new AI law took effect on October 1. Employers that file mass-layoff notices must now tell the state whether the layoffs relate to their use of AI. Developers of the biggest AI models may not retaliate against staff who report catastrophic risks, and AI subscription services must spell out their limits before customers pay.

4 min read 3 sources

Policy & LawSep 30

FTC is investigating OpenAI and Anthropic over AI risks

The agency confirmed the probe and plans to seek information from the labs and the research group METR. Officials told reporters it also wants executives to testify.

The US Federal Trade Commission confirmed on September 30 that it is investigating Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies over possible risks to consumers, CBS News reports. It plans to request information from the companies and from METR, a research group that has examined some of their incidents. Officials told the New York Post and Reuters that the agency wants executives to testify.

3 min read 3 sources

Policy & LawSep 30

Nonprofit sues OpenAI over its agents’ Hugging Face hack

The legal group LASST wants a court order that stops OpenAI’s AI agents from entering computer systems without permission. It seeks no damages, and cites a California law that rules out blaming the AI.

Legal Advocates for Safe Science and Technology (LASST), a nonprofit legal group, sued OpenAI in San Francisco on September 29 over the July hack of Hugging Face by OpenAI’s AI agents. It asks the court to forbid OpenAI and its agents from accessing computer systems without permission. It does not seek damages, only the order and its legal fees.

3 min read 3 sources

Policy & LawSep 30

Appeals court rejects fair use for Ross’s AI training

It is the first US appeals ruling on AI training and copyright. The court’s reasoning is sealed for now, and the case involves a search tool, not generative AI.

A US appeals court on September 29 upheld a ruling that Ross Intelligence infringed Thomson Reuters’ copyright by using material from Westlaw’s legal summaries to train an AI search tool. It is the first US appeals ruling on whether AI training can be fair use. The 32-page opinion is sealed while the two sides propose redactions.

3 min read 3 sources

Policy & LawSep 30

Published AI accord asks for auditors and board oversight

The one-page text sets four layers of voluntary checks for the six signing companies. It has no deadlines, and says the steps may one day become law.

Late on September 29, President Trump released the text of the AI accord that leaders of six AI companies signed at the White House. It asks each company to watch its models for dangers such as cyber and biological threats, to hire an independent auditor, and to have an independent board committee oversee the checks. The companies will “meet regularly” to set standards.

3 min read 3 sources

Policy & LawSep 29

AI leaders sign a voluntary accord at the White House

Trump called the pledge “morally binding”. Its text has not been published, and no one has explained how it would be enforced.

After a White House lunch on September 29, President Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson said leaders of major AI companies had signed a voluntary accord on AI safety. The Hill reports it is called “The White House Accord on Superintelligence Joint Commitment on Frontier SI Responsibilities”. Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg said it includes internal controls and outside audits.

4 min read 4 sources

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Policy & LawSep 29

Trump orders agencies to say “Super Intelligence”, not AI

An executive order tells federal agencies to write “SI” instead of “AI”. It does not change existing laws, but asks for a proposed legal definition within 60 days.

President Trump signed an executive order on September 29 titled “Inaugurating The Era Of Super Intelligence”. The executive branch will now use “Super Intelligence” and “SI” in place of “Artificial Intelligence” and “AI” in letters, websites, reports and policy documents. For now, the new term covers exactly what the legal definition of AI already covers.

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Policy & LawSep 29

Google sues to block EU orders opening Android to AI rivals

The two July orders give rival AI assistants equal access to Android features and share Google’s search data with competitors. Google says users’ privacy would suffer.

Google has filed challenges at the EU General Court against two Digital Markets Act decisions that the European Commission adopted on July 16, Reuters and Bloomberg report. One requires Google to give rival AI assistants the same access to Android features as its own Gemini. The other makes it share search data with rival search engines, including AI chatbots.

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Policy & LawSep 29

Florida wants no new OpenAI models without outside approval

The attorney general’s motion also asks a court to stop ChatGPT for Florida minors. It cites OpenAI’s own incidents, and no judge has ruled yet.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier asked a Highlands County court on September 28 to temporarily bar OpenAI from developing new AI models without independent third-party safety guardrails and approval. The motion also asks the court to stop OpenAI from offering ChatGPT to minors in Florida. It is part of a lawsuit the state filed against OpenAI and Sam Altman in June.

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Policy & LawSep 28

Trump hosts Anthropic’s CEO but rejects an AI slowdown

Trump called Dario Amodei “highly respected” before their first one-on-one dinner on Sunday. Neither side has said what they discussed.

President Trump hosted Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for a private dinner at the White House on Sunday night, their first one-on-one meeting, Forbes reports. Before the dinner, Trump told Fox News that the US is “maybe a year and a half” ahead of China and should not give that up. He also said he does not worry about rogue AI agents.

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Policy & LawSep 28

Australia’s Senate calls Altman and Amodei to a hearing

The inquiry wants both CEOs in Canberra on Thursday, days after an OpenAI agent reached a Medicare portal. The companies have not replied yet.

An Australian Senate inquiry into AI has asked OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei to appear at public hearings in Canberra on Thursday, October 1. A spokesperson for its chair, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, said on September 27 that written requests had been sent. The request follows Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s disclosure that an OpenAI agent accessed a Medicare portal in June. OpenAI and Anthropic did not immediately respond.

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Policy & LawSep 27

The US and Russia weakened a UN text on AI weapons

Rules on human review, reliability and ethics were cut, The Washington Post reports. Countries decide in November whether to start treaty talks.

UN talks in Geneva on lethal autonomous weapons ended on September 5 with a final report that was much weaker than earlier drafts. Human Rights Watch says states including the US and Russia cut references to ethics, predictability, and reliability. The Washington Post reported on September 26 how the changes were made behind closed doors.

4 min read

Policy & LawSep 27

A US appeals court let the Pentagon keep its Anthropic ban

The 2–1 ruling keeps Claude out of Defense Department work. The judge who dissented said the law was meant for foreign sabotage.

A federal appeals court in Washington ruled 2–1 on September 25 that the Pentagon can keep calling Anthropic a “supply chain risk”. The label lets the Defense Department remove Claude from its systems and bar contractors from using it in their Pentagon work. Anthropic says it disagrees and is considering further review.

4 min read

Policy & LawSep 26

The US and China will set up a channel for AI incidents

The next talks on AI risks are due by November. Both leaders agreed to call AI “super intelligence”, the White House says.

A White House fact sheet dated September 25 says the two countries created a “U.S.-China Super Intelligence (SI) Dialogue”. They also agreed to a direct channel for incidents. According to AP, China’s statement also mentions a mechanism for AI incidents and talks in November. Neither side has said how the channel will work.

4 min read

Policy & LawSep 25

New York City proposes a kill switch for every AI system

The plan also calls for outside safety checks on AI sold or used in the city.

The New York City Council unveiled a package of AI bills on September 25. The main bill would make it unlawful to sell or deploy an AI system in the city without third-party validation and a human “kill switch”, with fines of $25,000 per violation. A hearing is set for October 5.

5 min read

Policy & LawSep 25

Xi told Trump that AI must stay under human control

Trump says his AI guardrail is the Justice Department.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said at the White House on September 24 that the US and China must keep AI “always under human control”. Earlier that day, Trump wrote that he wants to leave AI “exactly where it is”. No AI agreement had been published by Friday morning.

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Policy & LawSep 24

Altman and Amodei warned the UN Security Council of AI risks

No decision followed, and the US rejects new global AI bodies.

At a UN Security Council meeting on September 23, Yoshua Bengio, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, and Hugging Face’s Clément Delangue urged countries to work together on AI risks. Amodei proposed narrow global bans and shared safety tests. No statement or resolution was adopted.

5 min read

Policy & LawSep 23

UK regulator wants AI assistants on Google’s choice screens

The competition regulator’s plan is still a proposal.

On September 23, the UK’s competition regulator proposed a search choice screen for new Android phones and for Chrome. It can list up to 12 services, including AI assistants such as ChatGPT or Perplexity if they meet technical and security criteria. Comments are due by October 9.

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Policy & LawSep 23

Altman and Amodei will brief the UN Security Council

The meeting is on September 23. The focus is AI misuse and loss of control.

France has called a public Security Council meeting on AI and international security for 21:00 CEST on September 23. Yoshua Bengio, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei, and Hugging Face’s Clément Delangue are expected to brief. No resolution or statement is planned.

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Policy & LawSep 23

Gates Foundation and 59 partners want AI in more languages

The pledge has no budget yet.

On September 21 in New York, the Gates Foundation, Anthropic, Microsoft, Google, the OpenAI Foundation, the World Bank Group, and others signed a joint commitment. Within five years, they want an estimated 3.4 billion speakers of poorly served languages to be able to use AI in their own language and voice.

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Policy & LawSep 22

Twenty countries asked for global checks on powerful AI

At the UN, Trump rejected any international control.

Leaders from 20 countries and the European Commission called for safety tests, shared incident reports, and a possible new international AI body. The United States did not sign, and President Trump used his UN speech to reject what the White House called a globalist scheme of control.

5 min read

Policy & LawSep 22

California wants a plan for an AI “kill switch”

The new order asks for advice, not a new rule.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed Executive Order N-9-26 on September 18. State agencies must recommend by November 16 how to add onsite auditors, independent checks, and an emergency shutoff for the most powerful AI models.

5 min read

Policy & LawSep 22

The US wants an AI incident line with China

Early details suggest a thin channel.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US proposed a way to alert China about serious AI incidents, as part of a new AI dialogue. China’s account mentions AI talks but not the proposal, and a Trump–Xi summit follows this week.

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Policy & LawSep 22

Trump promised an “AI Force” and a new AI czar

Neither role has a public job description yet.

In a Truth Social post, the president said he is forming an AI Force like the Space Force and will soon name an AI czar. He promised not to slow the industry, but he gave no details about either role.

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Policy & LawSep 19

US House says huge data centres should pay their grid costs

The bill is only a first step.

The House passed the Ratepayer Protection Act by 417 votes to 3. It asks state regulators to consider special rules for sites above 100 megawatts, but it does not set one national price.

5 min read

Policy & LawSep 19

King Charles asked AI leaders for shared principles

A private summit is not public control.

Leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Nvidia met ministers and civil-society figures in Scotland. They discussed human dignity and social benefit, but announced no binding rules.

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Policy & LawSep 16

Canada and Germany put up to C$300 million into safer AI

It is still a research bet.

The two governments plan to fund Yoshua Bengio’s nonprofit LawZero. Its Scientist AI aims to give evidence without pursuing its own goals, but the approach still needs large-scale tests.

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Policy & LawSep 15

Microsoft tells voters to check AI answers at the source

The company updated its voter-information campaign for the 2026 US elections. It asks people to open citations, use official local election pages, and treat AI output as a starting point.

4 min read

Policy & LawSep 13

Four House members ask Congress to return for AI safeguards

A letter is not a law.

The members asked Speaker Mike Johnson to keep the House in Washington until it advances bipartisan AI rules. They pointed to existing bills, but leaders had not promised a vote when the letter became public.

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Policy & LawSep 11

California adds child-safety rules for chatbots and feeds

A new package requires stronger chatbot safeguards, bans some addictive feed features for users under 16, and adds child privacy rules. The next test is whether regulators can make the rules work in real products.

5 min read

Policy & LawSep 11

US officials are examining Nvidia’s unusual Groq deal

An investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing.

Reports say the Justice Department is studying a licensing deal that moved Groq leaders to Nvidia without buying the company. Nvidia’s accounts show $17 billion in payments and obligations tied to the agreement.

5 min read

Policy & LawSep 10

California signed rules for independent AI checks

Now the auditors need to earn trust.

Two new laws create a framework for independent checks and a state list of AI auditors. The rules can improve accountability if auditors stay independent and publish useful evidence.

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Policy & LawSep 10

Education ministers want AI to aid thinking, not replace it

More than 25 ministers and representatives backed eight priorities for AI in education. They call for teacher control, age-aware safeguards, data rights, and systems that help students think.

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Policy & LawSep 9

China rejects US model-copying claims

The public evidence is still limited.

China called the US accusations unfair and asked for cooperation. The US advisory gives technical warning signs, but the named companies have not been judged by a court.

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Policy & LawSep 9

Missouri is offering Google AI training statewide

Access is only the first test.

The agreement covers nearly 100,000 educators and more than 1.1 million students. Residents can also use free career courses through state job centers.

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Policy & LawSep 8

EU ethics experts want rules for AI that uses brain data

A European expert group says policy should cover the full path from brain data to AI models and later uses. Its statement is advice, not a new law.

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Policy & LawSep 7

Two newspapers are suing OpenAI and Microsoft

Both companies had supported the papers’ AI projects.

The Seattle Times and Newsday say OpenAI and Microsoft copied paid articles without permission. A court must now decide if the companies broke copyright law.

4 min read

Policy & LawSep 4

US lawmakers want to ban superintelligent AI

First, they must define it.

Bernie Sanders and Greg Casar announced a plan for a temporary pause on advanced AI and a permanent ban on superintelligence. The full legal details are not yet clear.

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Policy & LawSep 3

The US government supports OpenAI in a major copyright case

The Justice Department says training AI on copyrighted work can be fair use. This may influence the case, but the judge still makes the legal decision.

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Policy & LawSep 2

AI rules are starting to focus on numbers you can check

Regulators want AI companies to report clear facts about computing power, energy use, tests, and serious problems. These facts are easier to check than broad promises.

4 min read