Maroney, Looney & Duff Oppose Trump Executive Order to Block State AI Regulations
Today, state Senator James Maroney (D-Milford), Chair of the General Law Committee,Senate President Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven), and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) are releasing a statement following Trump’s new executive order blocking states from enforcing their own regulations around AI.
“With the gridlock in DC, states have been the only ones to act to defend their residents from harms of social media, and this executive order would prevent states from acting to defend their residents from potential harms of AI,” said Sen. Maroney. “We will not harness the full potential of this technology until the majority of people feel safe in using it, and this order is a major step in the wrong direction.”
“Connecticut and several other states have been leading the way in establishing common sense AI standards that protect workers, consumers, and children in everyday life,” said Sen. Looney. “Preventing states from regulating artificial intelligence exposes people to dangerous decisions, allows companies to operate without accountability, increases the likelihood of errors, and widens inequality. We will continue to champion strong, thoughtful regulation that ensures the public feels safe using these powerful technologies.”
“Donald Trump’s executive order on artificial intelligence is not about innovation or public safety. It is about enriching millionaires and billionaires at the expense of working people,” said Senator Duff. “States have stepped up where Congress has failed to protect people online, and Trump and his billionaire allies in Big Tech are afraid of that progress. By trying to strip states of their authority, this order would leave the public more vulnerable to discrimination, unsafe content, and reckless decision-making by powerful tech platforms. Executive orders are not law, and this unconstitutional overreach will be challenged in court. Like so many of Trump’s past wannabe authoritarian type actions, I expect this order to end up in the ash heap of defeated executive orders.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Michelle Rappaport | Michelle.Rappaport@cga.ct.gov| 860-240-8671