Source: StateScoop

Following an early-April suit by xAI seeking to stop enforcement of Colorado’s 2024 AI law (SB24-205) before its June 30 effective date, Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser has indicated he will not enforce the statute when it goes into effect and has asked the federal court handling the case to temporarily pause enforcement. A joint motion filed by xAI, the Department of Justice and the attorney general requests that the lawsuit be stayed while the law is reevaluated in light of potential legislative changes; the motion states the attorney general “does not intend to promulgate rules implementing SB24-205 or any legislation replacing or amending SB24-205 until the legislative session concludes” and likewise will not enforce such laws until after the rulemaking process concludes.

The summary notes that SB24-205 was the first state law broadly regulating high-risk AI systems in areas including hiring, lending, housing, insurance and government services, and that tech companies have criticized it for possible innovation impacts and costs. Governor Jared Polis previously supported postponing enforcement, convening a special session last August that delayed the start to June to allow revisions, and a working group delivered a new draft policy framework last month proposing substantial changes; however, legislators had not yet introduced a bill to amend the law and Colorado’s legislative session ends mid-May. Travis Hall of the Center for Democracy and Technology cautioned in a statement that the delay could leave Coloradans exposed to harms from opaque algorithmic decisions, and the piece notes the issue sits within a wider national debate over state AI laws and calls for a unified federal framework.