By Jody Godoy

(Reuters) -Republican and Democratic attorneys general from 35 states and the District of Columbia urged congressional leaders on Tuesday not to block state laws governing artificial intelligence, warning of "disastrous consequences" if the technology is left unregulated.

The letter sets up a clash between the states and the Trump administration over AI regulation, as the industry seeks to avoid new laws scheduled to take effect in 2026 and states worry about injuries and deaths attributed to chatbot use.

“Every state should be able to enact and enforce its own AI regulations to protect its residents,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the effort with attorneys general in North Carolina, Utah and New Hampshire.

TECH COMPANIES PRESS FOR NATIONAL STANDARDS

ChatGPT maker OpenAI, Alphabet's Google, Meta Platforms, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz have called for national AI standards instead of a 50-state patchwork.

But since Congress has not put national standards in place, rushing to block state laws "risks disastrous consequences for our communities," the attorneys general said.

"If Congress is serious about grappling with how AI’s emergence creates opportunities and challenges for our safety and well-being, then the states look forward to working with you on a substantive effort," they said.

Some states have made it a crime to use AI to generate sexual images of people without their consent, limited the use of AI in political advertising, and restricted how insurers use AI to decide healthcare claims. A Colorado law that has faced industry pushback seeks to prevent AI from being used to discriminate in housing, employment and education.

California, home to several major AI companies, has gone the farthest. Starting in 2026, the state will require companies to disclose information about data used to train AI models and provide means to detect AI-generated content. Major developers like OpenAI will also have to explain plans to mitigate potential catastrophic risks from cutting-edge models. California Attorney General Rob Bonta signed the letter.

The Senate voted 99-1 against an effort to block AI laws this year after state lawmakers and attorneys general from both major political parties rallied against the measure.

This time, President Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind the effort, asking Congress last week to add a provision blocking AI laws to the National Defense Authorization Act. Trump has also considered using federal power to sue and defund states to block the laws, though sources told Reuters on Friday the effort was on hold.

(Reporting by Jody Godoy in New YorkEditing by Rod Nickel)