The US Doesn't Have One AI Law. It Has Something Else.

People ask me what the American AI law says, and I have to disappoint them: there isn't one. No single federal statute governs AI the way the EU AI Act does in Europe. What the US has instead is a patchwork, and understanding the patchwork is the whole game.

The pieces: federal guidance telling government agencies how to buy and use AI responsibly. A growing stack of state laws, each covering different slices — disclosure, hiring, deepfakes. Sector regulators applying old laws to new tools: employment, lending, and health care rules don't stop applying just because an algorithm is involved. And voluntary frameworks like NIST's filling the gaps.

Here's why this matters for you: a patchwork rewards principles over checklists. If you govern, map, measure, and manage your AI, you're prepared for whichever piece of the patchwork touches you next.

I explain frameworks; I don't give legal counsel.