Understand
The rules, and your job
AI law is moving fast and it's messy: a new Texas law, a string of presidential orders, a fight over state versus federal power, and Europe's rulebook. Here's where things stand, and what the data actually says about jobs.
Facts checked September 24, 2026
Texas
The Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (House Bill 149) was signed in June 20251 and took effect January 1, 2026.2 What it does:
- Bans AI built to encourage people to harm themselves or others, or to commit crimes.
- Bans AI built to unlawfully discriminate against a protected class, and AI built to produce child sexual abuse material or sexual deepfakes.
- Bars state government from "social scoring" and limits its use of biometric identification.
- Requires state agencies to tell you when you're interacting with an AI system.
- Gives the Texas Attorney General sole enforcement power, with a 60-day window to fix a violation. Penalties run from $10,000 to $200,000 per violation.
- Creates a "sandbox" where companies can test AI for up to 36 months, and a seven-member Texas Artificial Intelligence Council.2
Federal
Congress has passed one major AI-specific law, the TAKE IT DOWN Act on deepfake intimate images (see Scams).3 Most federal AI policy comes from executive orders:
| Signed | Executive order | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 23, 2025 | EO 14179 | Revoked the 2023 AI executive order and set a policy of U.S. "AI dominance."4 |
| Jul 23, 2025 | EO 14319 | Sets standards federal agencies must apply when buying AI language models.5 |
| Jul 23, 2025 | EO 14320 | Promotes exports of American AI technology.6 |
| Nov 24, 2025 | EO 14363 | Launched the "Genesis Mission" for AI-accelerated science.7 |
| Dec 11, 2025 | EO 14365 | Created a Justice Department task force to challenge state AI laws that conflict with federal policy.8 |
| Jun 2, 2026 | EO 14409 | Set up voluntary cooperation with frontier AI developers on security, and says it creates no mandatory licensing.9 |
Can Washington override state AI laws? Not yet. In March 2026 the White House released a proposed national framework, saying "a patchwork of conflicting state laws would undermine American innovation."10 As of September 2026, Congress has not passed a law that preempts state AI laws, so the Texas law stands.
Other states
- Colorado passed a broad AI Act in 2024, then delayed it to June 30, 2026.11 In May 2026 the governor signed a replacement, SB 26-189.12 According to law-firm analysis, the new law focuses on telling people when AI is used in important decisions about them, and takes effect January 1, 2027.13
- California signed SB 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act, on September 29, 2025. It requires the biggest AI developers to publish safety frameworks and report critical safety incidents to the state, and it protects whistleblowers.14
Europe
The EU AI Act entered into force August 1, 2024. Bans on the riskiest uses applied from February 2, 2025, and rules for general-purpose AI models from August 2025.15 In July 2026 the EU passed the "Digital Omnibus on AI," which pushed back the rules for high-risk systems. Those covering areas like hiring, education and biometrics now apply from December 2, 2027, and those built into regulated products from August 2, 2028.16 It matters here because U.S. companies selling in Europe must comply.
AI and jobs: what the data says
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is careful. It says uncertainty about AI's impact "remains very high" and it only adjusts its job projections where there is convincing evidence. It expects the effects to be concentrated in computer and math jobs, media and arts, business administration and legal work.20
hitechmike's take
The safest move for most people isn't to fear AI or ignore it. Get good at using it in the job you already have. The people most likely to be replaced are the ones competing against a coworker who uses AI well.
Sources for this page
- TX HB149 (2025) bill history. LegiScan.
- H.B. 149, Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act (enrolled text). Texas Legislature.
- President Donald J. Trump signed S.146 into law. The White House.
- Executive Order 14179, Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence. Federal Register (govinfo.gov).
- Executive Order 14319, Preventing Woke AI in the Federal Government. Federal Register.
- Executive Order 14320, Promoting the Export of the American AI Technology Stack. Federal Register (govinfo.gov).
- Executive Order 14363, Launching the Genesis Mission. Federal Register (govinfo.gov).
- Executive Order 14365, Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence. The White House.
- Executive Order 14409, Promoting Advanced Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Security. Federal Register.
- President Trump unveils national AI legislative framework. The White House.
- SB25B-004, Increase Transparency for Algorithmic Systems. Colorado General Assembly.
- Governor Polis signs bills into law (SB 26-189). Office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
- Colorado enacts artificial intelligence replacement law. Seyfarth Shaw LLP (law-firm analysis).
- Governor Newsom signs SB 53. Office of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
- AI Act: regulatory framework for AI. European Commission.
- Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 (Digital Omnibus on AI). Official Journal of the European Union (EUR-Lex).
- About 1 in 5 U.S. workers now use AI in their job, up since last year. Pew Research Center.
- AI use by businesses. U.S. Census Bureau.
- Future of Jobs Report 2025: 78 million new job opportunities by 2030. World Economic Forum.
- Incorporating AI impacts in BLS employment projections. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.