Poll: Banning state regulation of AI is massively unpopular

Federal lawmakers in the Senate are poised to take up the One Big Beautiful Bill Act next week, but a new poll suggests that one of its controversial provisions is clearly unpopular with voters on both sides of the aisle. That measure would ban states from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade. Proponents say that U.S. tech companies won't be able to succeed on the global stage if they're restrained by a patchwork of state laws that address concerns over artificial intelligence, like deepfakes, fraud, and youth safety. But critics argue that a lengthy blanket ban would harm consumers, especially given that Congress has no plan to pass a bill with protections. The new poll asked 1,022 registered voters across the country about their opinion on a state regulatory moratorium, and the results show that American voters largely oppose it.