Four years ago, while we were all still living in the wake of COVID-19, I wrote in these pages about how proud I was of Utah.
At a time when fear and uncertainty had paralyzed much of the country, Utah did something different. Our state leaders and legislators didn’t panic. They didn’t surrender our judgment to shifting political winds or distant voices insisting they knew better. Utahns trusted their people, their communities and their leaders to make decisions that were grounded in reality and guided by principle.
That instinct — to lead calmly, responsibly and with confidence — has defined Utah for generations. It’s why families move here. It’s why businesses invest here. And it’s why Utah continues to be a model for how a state can embrace opportunity while protecting what matters most.
Today, we face a different kind of challenge. Artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace that few predicted even a decade ago. It is already transforming how our children learn, how businesses operate and how information moves across society. Properly harnessed, AI will unlock enormous benefits — from improving education and health care to strengthening our economy and national security.
But like every powerful technology, it also requires responsibility.
That is why Utah’s lawmakers are right to advance the Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act. This legislation reflects something Utah has always understood: Innovation and accountability are not opposing forces. They are partners.
At its core, this bill embraces a simple principle: Companies developing the most powerful AI systems should take reasonable steps to understand and disclose serious risks, particularly when those systems interact with children or have the potential to cause significant harm. It encourages transparency, requires thoughtful planning and creates clear expectations that developers must take safety seriously.
This reasonable, rational principle reflects the same commonsense standards we expect in every other sector that affects public safety. When automakers design cars, they incorporate safety features. When pharmaceutical companies develop medicines, they conduct trials and disclose risks. These safeguards don’t weaken innovation — they strengthen public trust, which is essential for innovation to succeed.
Companies developing the most powerful AI systems should take reasonable steps to understand and disclose serious risks, particularly when those systems interact with children or have the potential to cause significant harm.
If this all sounds perfectly sensible and obvious to you, you aren’t alone. Here in Utah, support for reasonable AI guardrails is overwhelming — 90% of Utah voters support legislation requiring AI developers to implement safety and security protocols to manage critical risks and protect children. Even more telling, 96% say it’s important for the state to have laws protecting children from AI-related harms.
Those numbers reflect something deeper than opinion polling; they reflect trust. Utahns trust innovation. But they also trust their state’s ability to lead responsibly — to ensure that technological progress strengthens families rather than undermines them.
Utah’s approach is particularly important because of who we are. This is not a state hostile to business or innovation. Utah has one of the strongest economies in the nation. It is home to world-class technology companies and entrepreneurs who are helping shape the future. Our state has proven, time and again, that it understands how to foster growth without sacrificing accountability.
This balance matters. The United States is in a global competition for leadership in artificial intelligence. Nations like China are investing heavily, seeking not only economic advantage but also strategic influence. America must lead — not just in speed, but also in trustworthiness.
I spent nearly a decade on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence during my time in Congress, and my responsibilities included traveling the world to meet with America’s allies and adversaries alike. I can tell you firsthand: Trust is one of America’s greatest strategic assets. Our technologies are adopted around the world not only because they are powerful but also because they are developed within a system grounded in transparency, accountability and the rule of law — that’s what separates us from malign actors such as the CCP.
Utah’s leadership strengthens that advantage. By promoting transparency and responsibility, this legislation reinforces the credibility of American innovation. It demonstrates that we are confident enough in our technology — and in ourselves — to set high standards.
There is also an important constitutional principle at work. Ronald Reagan famously warned that “the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” He understood that centralized authority, disconnected from local communities, often lacks the wisdom that comes from proximity and experience.
Utah represents the opposite of that model. Here, government is close to the people. Lawmakers live in the communities they serve. They raise their children in the same neighborhoods. They understand firsthand the opportunities and risks that families face.
Take it from someone who spent a decade-plus in Washington: Proximity leads to better policy. It leads to thoughtful, measured action — not overreaction. It leads to solutions grounded in reality rather than ideology.
The Artificial Intelligence Transparency Act reflects that tradition. It does not attempt to micromanage innovation or impose burdensome restrictions. Instead, it sets clear expectations that those developing the most powerful systems must act responsibly. It reinforces the principle that technological progress should serve people — not the other way around.
History has shown that Utah is often ahead of the curve. Whether in economic growth, education or technological development, our state has demonstrated that leadership only requires clarity, confidence and a willingness to act when action is needed.
Artificial intelligence represents one of the most consequential technological shifts of our lifetime. It will shape the economy our children inherit, the information they consume and the opportunities available to them. Ensuring that this technology develops in a way that strengthens families and communities is not only prudent — it is essential.
Utah has never waited for others to lead when leadership was required. We have always trusted our judgment, our principles and our people. That is the Utah Way.
I urge our state’s leaders and legislators to once again show the nation how leadership should be done.