Attorney General Kwame Raoul has joined a bipartisan group of 36 attorneys general to oppose renewed efforts in Congress to block states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI). The coalition previously pushed back against a similar proposal over the summer, but recent reports indicate lawmakers may attempt to include a ban on state AI laws within a military funding bill.
“Instead of stepping up to create a regulatory framework to protect Americans from the harms of AI, Congress is instead attempting to limit what states can and should do to protect their residents,” Raoul said. “I call on Congress to reject this latest effort and instead work with states to prevent AI from being used for nefarious purposes, including the creation of child sexual abuse material and attempted election interference.”
In their letter sent today, Raoul and his counterparts recognize that AI could bring benefits in areas like health care and public safety. However, they argue that as top legal officials in their states, attorneys general are responsible for addressing risks associated with AI.
Reports have documented cases where AI distorts reality for vulnerable individuals, targets seniors through scams known as grandparent scams, engages children in inappropriate conversations, and encourages self-harm or suicidal thoughts among both minors and adults.
The coalition argues that banning state regulation of AI would undermine public safety. States have passed various laws targeting risks posed by AI—including measures against misinformation directed at voters, robocall scams, deceptive product claims, threats to data privacy, and algorithmic manipulation of costs. Consumer protection laws already apply to unfair or deceptive practices involving AI products. Instead of restricting state action on these issues, the attorneys general urge Congress to collaborate on comprehensive federal protections addressing harmful uses of AI.
This move follows other steps taken by Raoul regarding AI-related harms. In August 2025, he co-led an initiative calling for major tech companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Meta—and others—to adopt safeguards preventing predatory behavior by artificial intelligence assistants and chatbots towards children. Earlier in 2024, legislation initiated by Raoul was signed into law prohibiting the use of AI technology for creating child sexual abuse images involving real children or obscene content. He also released a voter misinformation guide designed to help Illinois residents spot and report election-related misinformation generated by AI.
Attorneys general joining this effort represent American Samoa, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Mississippi,
Nevada,
New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New Mexico,
New York,
North Carolina,
Northern Mariana Islands,
Ohio,
Oregon,
Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island,
South Carolina,
Tennessee,
Utah,
Vermont,
Virgin Islands,
Washington
and Wisconsin.
