Gov. Polis tells Colorado lawmakers to go easy on tech regulations

by Sara Wilson, Colorado Newsline Colorado Gov. Jared Polis urged future lawmakers to avoid a “heavy hand” when considering regulations on emerging technology during a panel with business leaders Tuesday. “We obviously value protecting consumers here, but we want to also realize that Colorado is a state, and we don’t set national policies,” he said. “A lot of these arguments are taken up by Congress nationally to establish standards for the country, but it’s very difficult when a small to mid-sized state like Colorado tries to assert itself in a way that cuts us off from opportunity.” While the White House has released an artificial intelligence policy framework, Congress has not advanced meaningful regulations around AI responsibility and accountability. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.SUBSCRIBE Polis made the comments during the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce and Colorado Competitive Council’s annual legislative wrap-up event. He spoke alongside University of Colorado President Todd Saliman and business leaders Paige Gross and Laura Hopkins about policies to maintain Colorado’s competitive edge. “That doesn’t mean we can’t adopt things that California, Texas, or New York have adopted,” Polis said of technology regulations and other policies that require consumer labels. “We certainly can, but we just have to be very thoughtful and careful about our own set of regulations that are not only a cost of doing business, but also ultimately very confusing for consumers.” Polis is term-limited and will not be around for another regular legislative session, and his likely Democratic successor could have a different attitude on attempts to regulate technology. This year, Polis signed into law a reworked AI regulation, following two years of negotiations and mediation between business groups and labor interests over the state’s role in preventing AI-led discrimination. The new law has watered-down aspects of the original 2024 AI law, which covered disclosure of AI use in such areas as employment, housing, healthcare and insurance. The earlier law was the first state-level AI regulatory framework, but its replacement this year does not require businesses that use AI to conduct preventive measures such as risk assessments. Other technology-related bills that the Legislature passed — but Polis has not signed yet — include disclosure requirements for AI-powered chatbots, new fees on in-game purchases on platforms like Roblox, and a ban on using personal data to set prices and wages. Last year, he vetoed a bill that would have added more safety features to ride-hailing apps like Lyft and Uber out of concern that the companies would pull out of Colorado. A reworked version of that bill is on his desk now, and sponsors said they believe the compromise will become law. “There’s other bills that I’ve vetoed, and I’m opposed to, that are coming our way that would hurt the tech side as well. It’s a very important sector for growth,” Polis said. Polis said he hopes that the next governor continues working on policies to promote housing development, a factor in increasing Colorado’s competitiveness for business growth, he said. At the same time, he said that recent laws around land use, condominium defect liability and ease for some types of construction will take years to make an impact. He also hopes to see Colorado emerge as a leader in the blossoming quantum computing industry. The state was designated as a federal hub for the industry in 2023, and quantum company IonQ recently opened a research and development facility in Boulder. “We have a good start here,” he said. “We have a few thousand jobs. This is going to be an enormous sector going forward. So, how do we leverage the fact that we have the most quantum jobs per capita … and really establish this as the place to do business?” During the Tuesday event, chamber leaders lauded the defeat of bills that would have decoupled Colorado’s tax code from new corporate tax laws at the federal level. They also gave a preliminary thank you to Polis for vetoing a second attempt to overturn the state’s Labor Peace Act, which governs union formation in the state. YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.SUPPORT Colorado Newsline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.