Regulating AI: Where U.S. State Policy and HCI (Mis)align

2026-07-03

AI Summary

This study addresses a significant disconnect between U.S. state-level AI policies and the sociotechnical perspectives advanced in human-computer interaction (HCI) research, particularly regarding conceptions of AI risk. In the absence of federal guidance, the authors conduct the first systematic comparison of 18 state AI commission reports against established HCI frameworks for classifying AI risks, employing content analysis and qualitative comparative methods to code and evaluate policy texts. Findings reveal that while state policies broadly endorse “responsible AI,” they largely overlook core HCI concerns such as participatory design, power asymmetries, and social equity. By exposing this critical gap between policy discourse and scholarly understanding, the work provides both theoretical grounding and practical pathways for more inclusive and effective AI governance.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are increasingly adopted into everyday life, with most investment and development concentrated in the U.S. In response to rapid AI integration and scant federal guidelines, U.S. states have formed AI committees charged with studying AI-related societal trade-offs. We analyzed the 18 existing state-level AI committee reports to understand how policymakers discuss AI-related benefits and risks. We then compared the risks surfaced by policymakers to an established taxonomy of AI risks aggregated from literature and examined how policymakers' concerns align, or misalign, from those of HCI scholars. These insights provide important mileposts for shaping currently ongoing policy initiatives and future research. Our findings reveal important gaps: while committees invoke responsible AI, their framings often omit broader socio-technical concerns emphasized in HCI. We discuss opportunities for HCI to support socio-technical perspectives, employ participatory design, and close the gap between research and policy.

Problem

• AI regulation
• state policy
• HCI
• socio-technical concerns
• policy-practice gap

Innovation

• AI policy
• human-computer interaction (HCI)
• socio-technical systems
• responsible AI
• participatory design