The United States does not have one single AI Act like the EU. AI governance is spread across federal policy, existing regulators and a growing set of state laws. Here's the structure without the legal jargon.
This page is an educational overview, not legal advice. US AI rules can differ by state, sector and use case, and they change over time. I use official government and regulator material as the preferred source for legal requirements and use secondary reporting only to help explain context.
Before making a compliance decision, check the current text and effective date on the relevant government or regulator website. If a rule on this page conflicts with the official text, the official text is the authority.
The U.S. approach is more distributed than the European Union's. Federal agencies can apply existing consumer protection, competition, civil-rights, privacy and sector-specific rules to uses of AI, while Congress and the executive branch shape broader national policy. States are also adopting their own AI requirements.
At the federal level, AI policy can come from legislation, executive actions, agency rules and enforcement under existing law. Because this area changes quickly, businesses should verify current requirements with the relevant government agency before making compliance decisions.
States are increasingly important. Requirements can differ by state and may address areas such as automated decision systems, disclosures, consumer protection, deepfakes, privacy, employment or high-risk uses. A company operating nationally may therefore need to consider more than one state regime.
This is a fast-moving area, so treat this as a map and check official sources for any date. As of mid-2026, the United States still had no comprehensive federal AI statute. Obligations come mainly from state laws and from existing federal regulators.
Check these official sources for current US rules. State laws change often.
Not as a single comprehensive federal law equivalent to the EU AI Act. “US AI regulation” is a more accurate description.
It can. A company outside the EU may still fall within the EU AI Act when its AI systems or outputs are used in the European Union.