Proposed CT artificial intelligence law moves forward. Why there’s so much opposition to it

Hartford Courant – Wednesday, May 7, 2025
By Christopher Keating

Seeking safeguards on one of the world’s fastest-moving industries, a key legislative committee voted to provide oversight of artificial intelligence.

The judiciary committee voted 28-11, largely along party lines, for a measure pushed by Democrats to curb potential excesses of artificial intelligence. But Gov. Ned Lamont and Republicans have opposed the idea, saying they do not want to stifle an emerging industry that can create jobs and economic opportunities in Connecticut. Senate Democrats have placed the measure among the highest priorities of the year, thus naming it as Senate Bill 2.

The bill covers multiple issues, including creating an AI task force, forming a Connecticut technology advisory board, and updating the Technology Talent and Innovation Fund Advisory Committee, among others. The 62-page bill would “establish various requirements concerning artificial intelligence systems and require the Department of Economic and Community Development to establish an artificial intelligence regulatory sandbox program,” according to a bill analysis.

Lamont derailed the measure last year when he announced his opposition, which prompted the state House of Representatives to avoid any debate on a measure that would be vetoed. This year, Lamont continues to closely monitor the latest version of the legislation.“We continue to meet with and hear from industry leaders, local developers, and legislators to encourage innovation and move our economy forward, while ensuring Connecticut’s laws protecting individual rights cover evolving technologies,” Rob Blanchard, Lamont’s chief spokesman, said Tuesday.

At the committee meeting, Sen. John Kissel, an Enfield Republican, noted that Lamont’s economic development commissioner has raised concerns about “causing businesses to shy away from establishing in Connecticut.”

Kissel said he would remain opposed to the bill until there is “a meeting of the minds” among Lamont and legislators on an economic issue that could be “almost be as large as the industrial revolution.”

Rep. Melissa Osborne, a Simsbury Democrat, voted for the bill, saying, “While this is a work in progress, this entire field is a work in progress.”

Sen. Gary Winfield, a New Haven Democrat, said it was important for the committee to approve the bill in order to keep it moving forward as talks continue to shape the final version.

The bill states, “Beginning on October 1, 2026, each deployer of a high-risk artificial intelligence system shall use reasonable care to protect consumers from any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination.”

Special education

In another priority for the Democratic majority, the committee voted 28-11 for Senate Bill 1 that focuses on providing more money for special education. The measure was previously approved by the Select Committee on Special Education, and still needs final approval by both the state House of Representatives and the Senate.

Kissel, the committee’s ranking Senate Republican, said the potential spending in the bill is too high and “would break the guardrails that we have.”

Kissel and other Republicans voted against the measure, which will continue to be debated in the coming weeks as the legislature is facing a deadline of June 4 when the regular legislative session ends.

With costs reaching more than $100,000 per year for some students, Lamont has called for an additional $54 million for special education to help Connecticut communities shoulder the cost. Lamont and lawmakers have earmarked special education this year as a high priority and a renewed area of interest, noting that expenses have been rising for services.

Part of the focus is to keep students in their own district, rather than sending them by bus as much as an hour away for specialized programs for which tuition and transportation costs can reach as high as $200,000 per student, officials said. Lamont’s plan calls for $14 million in competitive grants for in-district programs, plus $40 million in the second year of the two-year budget for “excess costs” for the most expensive cases.

Some communities, such as Hartford, have more students in special education and subsequently costs that are higher than the state average. About 80% of all transportation costs in the Hartford schools are for out-of-district trips.

While about 20% of Hartford students are in special education classes, the high costs mean that 31.6% of the city’s school budget is for special education, said Mayor Arunan Arulampalam.

Back again

Last year, the state Senate passed an AI bill, but the measure never received a vote in the House before time ran out on the final day of the legislative session. After Lamont signaled publicly that he opposed the bill, the House never debated the issue last year because leaders said the debate would be a waste of time if the measure was facing a guaranteed veto.

After more than four hours of debate in April 2024, the Senate voted 24-12 for the bill on strict partly lines as all Democrats were in favor and all Republicans were against. Some Republicans argued that the measure, known as Senate Bill 2, would be adding more regulations on small businesses.

The 53-page bill last year would have expanded criminal laws to include “deep fakes” as the measure established “a new crime of unlawful dissemination of a synthetic intimate image” and prohibited anyone “from distributing any deceptive media before an election or primary.”

The measure would have required developers of artificial intelligence “to use reasonable care to protect consumers from any known or reasonably foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination” based on factors like age, religion or ethnicity, according to a nonpartisan bill summary.

During the Senate debate, Sen. Tony Hwang, a Fairfield Republican who served on the 21-member AI task force that issued a 255-page report, said powerful computers are already having an impact on Americans’ lives. AI will be involved in “potentially how we shop … potentially who we get our news from” in daily life, he said.

“If we get it wrong in a technology field that is moving at remarkable speed … for many businesses, it’s life or death,” Hwang said at the time. “They may leave the state or they may do the wrong thing and lose their business. … The technology changes minute by minute, not day by day. This technology is changing so fast.”

Sen. Tony Hwang, a Fairfield Republican, has raised concerns about a Democratic bill on artificial intelligence. He is shown here on the Senate floor in Hartford.

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