Kentucky's artificial intelligence task force is back for a second year.

The group held its first meeting of the interim session this week to discuss the role of AI in the state at the federal level.

The so-called Big Beautiful bill has language that may restrict how the state can regulate AI.

Kentucky's Chamber of Commerce testified at this week's meeting to help break down how the bill could affect the task force's agenda going forward.

Representing the interests of Kentucky's business community, Kate Shanks of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce spoke on how changes at the federal level could affect Kentucky's relationship with artificial intelligence.

Among the differences between the Trump and Biden administration's is attitude towards the technology.

President Donald Trump rescinded President Biden's 2023 executive order regarding AI and published his own.

And the tone is very different.

And you ended up with a lot of terminology in Biden's order around regulation and, concerns risks.

And then you get to the Trump order, and it's a lot of the use of the word innovation.

Shank says that the current administration is more focused on the U.S. becoming the leader in artificial intelligence.

The budget reconciliation bill, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, addresses state's role in regards to AI, potentially restricting them from creating regulations on the technology.

The original language in the House bill created a a AI policy pause or a moratorium on states as it relates to limiting, restricting, or otherwise regulating artificial intelligence models, systems and automated decision systems.

The bill does not limit states from removing legal impediments.

Promoting growth, regulatory streamlining.

I think if you're working on issues that are tech neutral, that are not saying I do this, I don't do this, but are tech neutral.

I think that's notable.

I know there was legislation to put computer generated content into an existing statute in the state protecting children.

I don't think that would trigger this.

Because you're just simply saying this criminal law applies to that computer generated content as well.

Regulating artificial intelligence has been a much discussed topic in Kentucky's General Assembly, especially regarding AI generated images of a person without their consent.

The U.S. Congress addresses this issue in its Take It Down Act.

A barren County family who had been affected by this issue was present at its signing.

Congress also passed the Take It Down Act.

Y'all following that, okay, which is dealing with, the non-consensual publication of intimate images, including those created, as deepfakes.

So I think that's notable.

They do criminalize that activity, and they do create a 48 hour take it down provision once it's identified.

You all had a lot of discussion on that last year.

So Congress has taken action on that.

Republican Representative Suzanne Miles expressed confidence in the federal government's movement regarding AI, referencing one of Kentucky's representatives, Congressman Brett Guthrie, who is the chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, and earlier this month announced a subcommittee on the applications of AI.

I have a lot of confidence right now in the aggressiveness at the federal level on this category.

I do have a strong bias that Congressman Guthrie is is very aggressive in this category on AI and everything in the in this space of something happening at the federal level that we can only complement from the state level.

So hopefully we'll get on a better path than we did on the data privacy while it's still up in the air.

If the big beautiful bill will affect the General Assembly's ability to regulate AI.

The task force says it will focus on exploring how this technology could improve our state in areas like energy, cybersecurity, and education.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Mackenzie Spink.