Republican governor asserts states’ right to legislate AI

Utah Governor Spencer Cox speaks during the Utah 2034 Organizing Committee press conference on February 10, 2026 in Milan, Italy. Mike Lawrie/Getty Images

Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox weighed in on the regulatory debate between the federal government and state governments on Thursday, supporting states’ agency in regulating aspects of artificial intelligence development and deployment.

Speaking in Washington, D.C., during the Politico Governors Summit, Cox emphasized his concern about the harms new technologies are inflicting on minors. He said that while he supports the Trump administration’s posture on unleashing American AI, he wants state authority over certain safety issues.

“It's one thing if … we're fighting China and you're developing your model, but once you start selling sexualized chatbots to kids in my state, now I have a problem with that, and I'm going to get involved there, and the Supreme Court is going ...