AI is Here, but 2026 Will Decide If You’re Ready.
January 6th, 2026
Artificial intelligence isn’t coming, it’s already here, reshaping how we hire, train, serve, and communicate. Now, across the nation, the rules are catching up.
Across ColorVision’s regional footprint, state-level conversations are accelerating around the responsible use of AI in business applications. In Nebraska, LB77 allows digital tools to support efficiency within medical insurance but places clear guardrails on the decision making process. The act prohibits the use of AI as the sole basis for a denial.
In ColorVision’s southern region, Arkansas has implemented broader protections covering publicity rights. Any commercial entity using AI to replicate an individual’s voice or likeness requires that person’s explicit consent. While we are just beginning to see these regulations take shape in ColorVision’s footprint, other states provide a glimpse of what may be ahead.
On January 1st, 2026, Illinois’ House Bill 3773 took effect, marking one of the most wide sweeping regulations of the use of AI in employment decisions. If you use automated resumé scanners, chatbots during recruiting, or AI in performance management, this law affects you.
These moves are a part of a nationwide trend: 2026 isn’t the “year AI slows down”, it’s the year regulation speeds up.
Why the AI Rules Matter Now
For businesses built on precision, accountability, and service, these developments can’t be ignored. What started as convenience tools are becoming compliance risks.
States across the country are enacting laws that demand more transparency and control over AI’s role in day-to-day business. Whether it’s notifying applicants that AI is part of the hiring process, disclosing chatbot usage to customers, or safeguarding how conversations are recorded and transcribed, a new legal standard is starting to take shape. Its theme? That AI must be understandable, fair, and often disclosed.
Take Utah’s AI legislation, for example. Its 2025 amendments added new disclosure obligations around generative AI. Companies must be prepared to disclose the use of AI if prompted by a customer, and in some cases, say so at the start of the interaction.
The Conversation is Changing
In 2025 alone, all 50 U.S. states introduced legislation targeting some aspect of AI. Over 100 measures were passed and only six U.S. states do not have some form of AI legislature passed. It’s not a question of if AI laws will affect your business. It’s when and how fast you respond.
For an industry built on customer trust and technical precision, the answer isn’t to fear AI. We must work to understand it, monitor its use, and integrate it responsibly.
A few themes are consistent in AI regulation and one of them is reasonable care for high-risk systems. One of the largest bills passed to date is Colorado’s SB24-205, which requires developers, as well as deployers of any high-risk artificial intelligence system, to use reasonable care to protect consumers from any foreseeable risks of algorithmic discrimination. Colorado’s bill includes decisions related to the denial of coverage regarding insurance. Provisions of reasonable care include allowing an opportunity to the consumer to appeal the decision via human review, if technically feasible. Most businesses using high-risk AI systems may not fully understand how these tools are developed or trained, yet it's increasingly critical to audit them for potential legal and ethical risks. While Colorado’s Consumer Protections for Artificial Intelligence was originally scheduled to be enforced on February 1st, 2026, it was amended to delay enforcement until June 30th, 2026.
Even consumer-facing tools like chatbots and callbots are under evolving requirements. Maine has passed legislation that prohibits businesses from misleading consumers into thinking they’re talking to a human when it’s actually AI. Illinois, Hawaii, and Massachusetts have similar legislature pending. These proposals share a common goal: ensure that consumers know when a digital interaction isn’t with a real person.
If you use website chat tools, automated customer service replies, or AI-powered texting solutions in your shop or sales process, these laws could apply to you, no matter where you’re located. In today’s digital environment, compliance is no longer just a state-by-state issue. It’s a standard of trust.
Beyond Bots: AI in Marketing, Meetings, and Media
Other states are taking aim at AI’s use in content and communications. New York recently passed a landmark law requiring that ads disclose when they use synthetic AI-generated performers. The state also prohibits the use of a deceased person’s likeness in commercial media without consent from their heirs. This comes after Tennessee’s ELVIS Act (Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Act) requiring similar provisions, which was passed and went into effect in 2024. These laws emerged from industries like film and entertainment, but they send a message to every brand: AI-generated content isn’t off the hook.
At the same time, AI meeting assistants, tools that record and transcribe virtual conversations, must now comply with complex consent laws. Some states require all-party consent before any recording can occur. And if your tool stores voiceprints or speaker identifiers, you may need explicit written permission under biometric privacy laws like Illinois' BIPA.
A New AI Reality: More Than a Trend
For an industry built on customer trust and technical precision, the answer isn’t to fear AI. We must work to understand it, monitor its use, and integrate it responsibly.
At ColorVision, our mission is simple: Our success depends on yours. That includes reviewing this landscape to help you stay ahead of these changes. In navigating the evolving legislature, we recommend the following three steps:
Audit Your Tools
Know what AI your business is already using, whether it’s in recruiting software, digital platforms, or backend operations.Consult Legal Experts
Don’t wait until legislation hits your state. Be proactive by consulting your legal team on any disclosures, consent forms, and internal documentation that may be pertinent to your operations.Train Your Team
Employees should understand how AI works within your processes, and how to explain it clearly if asked by customers or applicants.
AI has enormous potential to improve efficiency, accuracy, and customer satisfaction. But that promise only matters if it’s implemented with integrity and accuracy. At ColorVision, we believe innovation should never come at the expense of clarity, honesty, or craftsmanship.
You can view a list of all the 2025 AI State by State Legislation here.
You can view a state-by-state map of enacted AI Legislation here.
Please Note: This blog posting is a summary of recent AI legislature across the United States. It should not be taken as legal advice.