Dec. 15, 2025, 5:12 a.m. ET
- Artificial intelligence is already impacting major sectors like education, agriculture, medicine and manufacturing.
- Overly strict regulations could hinder American innovation and allow competitors like China to take the lead.
- Kentucky is presented as a model for a balanced approach, focusing on workforce development, modernization and public-private partnerships.
- U.S. leadership in AI is crucial for both economic and national security.
Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant or speculative technology. It is already shaping how our kids learn, how farmers work, how doctors diagnose illnesses and how manufacturers compete. Countries that lead in AI over the next decade will shape the global economy for the next century. The stakes are too high for America to fall behind.
Our nation still has the talent and innovative edge to stay in the lead, but we will not win by accident. We will win by choosing balanced policies that encourage innovation while protecting safety and security. That is why the work happening here in Kentucky matters, and why the rest of the country should pay attention.
When I talk about supporting domestic innovation, I am referring to the breakthroughs being developed by American companies, universities and workers. These include new large-scale language models built by U.S. firms like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google; medical AI tools that allow doctors to analyze scans more accurately; predictive systems that help manufacturers in Kentucky reduce downtime and improve quality; and AI-enabled precision agriculture that helps farmers save money and increase yields. These are not hypothetical ideas. They exist today, and they are exactly the kinds of technologies we must continue to support if we want to stay ahead of authoritarian competitors like China.
Rules for AI development are necessary, but to what extent?
This is why some of the proposals being discussed in Washington raise concern. Ideas such as requiring federal licenses just to train advanced models, mandating expensive pre-deployment audits or forcing small innovators to meet burdensome disclosure requirements may be well-intentioned, but they risk slowing American progress. Early data from states testing heavy-handed AI laws should give us pause. Colorado’s comprehensive AI law is projected to cost the state 40,000 jobs and $7 billion in economic output by 2030. California’s algorithm regulations could cost businesses more than half a billion dollars in compliance expenses. We need sensible rules, but we cannot regulate ourselves into second place.
China’s objective goes beyond creating strong technology. Its strategy is to make other nations dependent on Chinese-made technology, giving the Chinese government unprecedented access to data. This affects both national security and economic security. We have already witnessed the risks.
Huawei equipment was restricted across much of the West because it could give the Chinese Communist Party access to sensitive communications networks. TikTok has faced bipartisan scrutiny because Chinese law requires its parent company to share data with the government. Even Chinese-made drones, thousands of which are used by U.S. police departments, have triggered warnings from federal agencies about data flowing back to China. These examples show how relying on a foreign adversary’s technology can create vulnerabilities throughout our infrastructure and economy.
America should absolutely strive to lead the world in AI, but not by imitating China’s approach. We must develop the most trusted, secure and innovative technologies, and we must do it in a way that reflects American values.
Kentucky is taking a balanced approach to AI
At the same time, Europe’s regulatory framework shows the danger of overcorrecting in the name of caution. The European Union’s new AI Act places heavy compliance burdens on companies, including strict rules for high-risk systems and costly documentation requirements for foundational models. Startups across Europe have warned that these requirements slow down research and push talent elsewhere.
The United States should avoid both extremes. We should not allow AI companies to become state-run national champions, and we should not create a regulatory maze that only the largest corporations can afford to navigate.
Kentucky has taken a more practical and forward-looking approach. As co-chair of the Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence, I worked with colleagues from both parties to understand how AI is affecting our economy and what the commonwealth needs in order to lead. Our task force produced 11 targeted recommendations. These include developing an AI-ready workforce pipeline through K-12 digital skills and community college training, modernizing state technology systems to safely adopt AI tools, promoting partnerships with universities to use AI in Medicaid data to improve health outcomes for families, strengthening cybersecurity for critical infrastructure and establishing clear transparency standards for government use of AI.
Kentucky is ahead of the curve on AI development
Kentucky is not waiting on Washington to decide how to handle AI. We are already showing how innovation and responsibility can work together. Our approach can serve as a model for other states that want to embrace AI while protecting their citizens.
Most importantly, AI leadership is not a Republican issue or a Democratic issue. It is an American competitiveness issue. If we want the United States, not China, to guide the future of artificial intelligence, then we must adopt policies that support research, empower entrepreneurs and safeguard the public.
We are at a turning point. We can choose policies that slow innovation, or we can take a practical, balanced path that keeps America ahead. Kentucky has chosen the latter, and I believe the country should too. If we get this right, America can lead the next century of innovation. If we do not, someone else will.
Josh Bray is the representative from the 71st District and co-chair of the Kentucky Artificial Intelligence Task Force.
