Where national AI law is missing, cities and buyers set the rules

New York's mayor Zohran Mamdani says the federal government has abdicated on AI and points to local action: a ban on AI use in elementary and middle schools and a rule requiring disclosure of AI-generated photos in property listings (TechCrunch). In parallel, Anthropic has drafted a federal safety bill under which independent evaluators could seek a court order against a model release if they find an imminent risk of more than 50 deaths or a billion dollars in damage (TechCrunch).

Elsewhere the tone differs. Zurich's economics director told netzwoche that the canton wants minimal, smart regulation, while its AI procurement excludes vendors subject to US surveillance laws such as the Cloud Act, as Republik reported.

Regulation moves to the level that can act: cities and states where national law is missing, procurement and data protection where a single AI law is not on the table. Companies selling to public bodies will be asked about data location, legal exposure and explainability long before any national rule exists.

Writing those answers clearly is a skill in high demand. Former administrators, paralegals and project staff can learn AI compliance documentation in weeks, and we help them do it.

Practical step: prepare a short document stating where your AI services process data, which law applies and how decisions can be explained, and attach it to your next tender.