Governance Dashboard

At-a-glance regulatory landscape

Last updated: 2026-07-15

This Week in AI Governance

China's Interim Measures on AI Anthropomorphic Interactive Services took effect July 15, shutting down ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen companion features for hundreds of millions of users. The EU AI Act's August 2 GPAI enforcement date is 18 days away; the Commission gains power to issue retroactive fines for violations dating back to August 2025, but enforcement readiness across member states is uneven. China's MOFCOM consultations on restricting overseas access to advanced AI models remain ongoing with no final decision. The FTC's proposed AI accuracy policy statement closes for public comment July 31.

Latest Issue
Week 12: Illinois Signs Frontier AI Audits Into Law; Congress Circulates First Federal AI Bill
July 10, 2026

Illinois Governor Pritzker signed the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act on July 6, adding first-in-nation annual third-party audit requirements for frontier AI developers alongside California and New York. A bipartisan House discussion draft would create a national audit framework while freezing state AI development laws for three years, and the FTC opened public comment on a proposed policy statement targeting secret ideological steering of AI outputs.

Read the full issue →
Critical Watch

Government actions restricting, vetting, or banning AI models.

EO 14409 - Promoting Advanced AI Innovation and Security (June 2, 2026) in effect
Executive Order 14409 establishes a voluntary framework for developers of covered frontier models to give the government up to 30 days of pre-release access, while expressly prohibiting mandatory licensing or preclearance of AI models. It is the basis under which the administration had OpenAI restrict access to its GPT-5.6 models. Framework to be finalized by around August 1, 2026.
2026-06-02 Source
OpenAI GPT-5.6 'Trusted Partners' Restriction (June 2026) lifted
The US Department of Commerce approved global release of the GPT-5.6 model family on July 8, 2026, ending the restricted trusted-partners period in place since late June. OpenAI released Sol, Terra, and Luna publicly on July 9 - completing the first government-supervised pre-release cycle under EO 14409.
2026-07-09 Source
US Export Controls on Anthropic Fable 5 / Mythos 5 (June 12 - lifted June 30, 2026) lifted
The June 12 export-control directive forced Anthropic to suspend Fable 5 and Mythos 5 globally for 19 days. Controls were lifted June 30; Fable 5 returned worldwide July 1. Ongoing conditions include government-mandated ID verification (via Persona) for consumer plan access, active as of July 8, and Anthropic obligations to proactively detect security risks and cooperate with government on upcoming model standards.
2026-06-30 Source
China MOFCOM Consultations on AI Model Overseas Access Restrictions (July 2026) proposed
China's Ministry of Commerce convened July 7 meetings with Alibaba, ByteDance, and Z.ai on potentially restricting overseas access to China's most advanced AI models - including Qwen, Doubao, GLM-5.2, and DeepSeek R1. No final decision as of July 15; proposals include tiered controls ranging from filing requirements for basic tools to domestic-only lockdowns for the most sensitive models. Scope may extend to unreleased models and open-weight releases.
2026-07-07 Source
Recent Stories
China AI Companion Law Takes Effect: Doubao and Qwen Shut Down, Millions Lose Chat Data
China's Interim Measures on AI Anthropomorphic Interactive Services took legal effect today, forcing ByteDance's Doubao and Alibaba's Qwen to permanently close AI companion and persona features used by hundreds of millions, with Qwen permanently deleting user chat histories.
critical CN 2026-07-15
EU AI Act: Retroactive GPAI Fines Possible From August 2 as Only 10 Member States Show Enforcement Readiness
With 18 days to August 2, the EU Commission gains power to issue retroactive GPAI fines for violations dating back to August 2025, but only approximately 10 of 27 member states have built the national enforcement infrastructure needed to apply Article 50 transparency rules.
important EU 2026-07-15
FTC Proposes Policy on AI Accuracy and Output Steering; Comment Deadline July 31
The FTC's proposed policy statement asserts that secretly steering AI outputs away from accuracy without disclosure may violate Section 5 of the FTC Act, with public comments due July 31 at regulations.gov (Matter No. P264200).
critical US 2026-07-14
China AI Companion Rules Take Effect July 15; ByteDance Doubao Shuts Down Tomorrow
ByteDance will disable Doubao's AI companion and persona features on July 15 as China's Interim Measures on AI Anthropomorphic Interactive Services take legal effect, with Alibaba's Qwen having already removed humanlike interactive agents on July 10.
important CN 2026-07-14
EU AI Act: 19 Days to August 2 GPAI and Article 50 Enforcement; Digital Omnibus OJ Pending
The EU AI Act's August 2 GPAI model obligations and Article 50 transparency enforcement date is now 19 days away, while the Digital Omnibus delaying high-risk AI obligations to December 2027 still awaits Official Journal publication.
important EU 2026-07-14
ByteDance and Alibaba Shut Down AI Companion Features Ahead of July 15 Deadline
ByteDance is closing Doubao's AI persona creation feature on July 15 and Alibaba's Qwen and Tencent's Yuanbao have issued similar compliance notices, as China's Interim Measures on AI Anthropomorphic Interactive Services take effect - banning virtual companion services for minors and requiring CAC security assessments for platforms with over 100,000 monthly active users.
important CN 2026-07-13
China MOFCOM AI Model Export Restrictions: No Final Decision After Six Days
Beijing's Ministry of Commerce consultations with Alibaba, ByteDance, and Z.ai on restricting overseas access to advanced Chinese AI models - including Qwen, Doubao, and GLM-5.2 - have produced no final policy decision as of July 13, with proposed measures ranging from simple filing requirements to domestic-only lockdowns for frontier models.
important CN 2026-07-13
Apple Sues OpenAI for AI Hardware Trade Secret Theft
Apple filed a federal lawsuit in Northern California alleging OpenAI coordinated the theft of AI chip design and hardware trade secrets through systematic poaching of more than 400 engineers, with OpenAI's Chief Hardware Officer allegedly directing candidates to bring proprietary Apple parts to interviews.
important US 2026-07-12
Upcoming Deadlines
Jul 15
China Anthropomorphic AI and Intelligent Agent Rules Take Effect
Two major Chinese AI regulations effective July 15: (1) Interim Measures for the Administration of AI Anthropomorphic Interactive Services (issued April 10, 2026 by CAC/NDRC/MIIT/MPS/SAMR) - requires algorithm filing and CAC security assessment for AI companion and emotionally interactive services; bans virtual companion services for minors; mandates disclosure that service is AI not human. (2) Implementation Opinions on the Standardized Application and Innovative Development of Intelligent Agents (issued May 8, 2026 by CAC/NDRC/MIIT) - first national framework for agentic AI as a distinct regulatory category; mandatory filing and compliance testing for AI agents in healthcare, transportation, media, and public safety.
Jul 22
EU AI Act Transparency Code Signatory Deadline
Companies within the scope of Article 50 of the EU AI Act (chatbot disclosure, AI-generated content marking, deepfake labelling) that sign the EU AI Office's Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content by July 22 receive a presumption of conformity with Article 50 obligations when they become binding August 2. Non-signatories face heightened regulatory scrutiny. Missing the July 22 deadline does not bar later signing, but signatories after July 22 do not receive initial-signatory status.
Jul 31
FTC AI Accuracy Policy Statement - Comment Period Closes
Public comment period closes July 31, 2026 on the FTC's proposed policy statement asserting that AI companies secretly steering outputs toward undisclosed ideological objectives may violate Section 5 of the FTC Act. Comments at regulations.gov, Matter No. P264200. The proposed statement was issued pursuant to EO 14365 (December 11, 2025), which directed the FTC to clarify Section 5 as it applies to AI and to address how state laws requiring output alterations might conflict with federal law.
Aug 01
EO 14409 Frontier-Model Framework Finalized
The voluntary pre-release engagement framework for covered frontier models under EO 14409 is to be finalized around August 1, 2026. Agencies also develop classified benchmarks to identify which models warrant the covered-frontier-model designation.
Aug 02
EU Digital Omnibus Official Journal Publication (Expected Imminently)
The EU Digital Omnibus received Council final approval June 29, 2026. Official Journal publication expected any day (must precede August 2). The high-risk AI deferral to December 2, 2027 takes legal effect 3 days after OJ publication - NOT before. Until published, companies cannot formally rely on the new dates. GPAI and Article 50 deadlines on August 2 are NOT affected by the Omnibus.
Aug 02
EU AI Act - GPAI Enforcement and Article 50 Transparency Take Effect
The Commission gains active enforcement powers over general-purpose AI providers, and Article 50 transparency (marking and labelling of AI-generated content, chatbot disclosure, deepfake labelling) becomes binding. These deadlines were NOT delayed by the Digital Omnibus. Final Code of Practice published June 10, 2026.
Aug 28
Missouri SB 1019 AI Therapy Chatbot Advertising Ban Takes Effect
Missouri's prohibition on advertising or claiming AI can act as a mental health professional, provide therapy, or offer mental health diagnosis takes effect August 28, 2026. Enforcement through the Missouri Attorney General under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act. First offense $10,000; subsequent violations $20,000. Missouri joins Tennessee (July 1), Vermont (June 17), and Rhode Island (June 22) in the bipartisan wave of state therapy-chatbot restrictions.
Oct 31
ECB AI Cybersecurity Action Plans Due from Eurozone Banks
Following the ESRB July 7 warning on systemic cyber risks from frontier AI models, the ECB set an October 31, 2026 deadline for significant eurozone banks to submit AI cybersecurity action plans addressing AI-enhanced cyber threats to financial stability.
Oct 01
Connecticut CART Act - First Employment and Transparency Provisions Effective
Connecticut Public Act 26-15 (AI Responsibility and Transparency Act / CART Act) begins its phased rollout on October 1, 2026. Initial obligations include employer notice when AI tools are used in employment-related decisions, transparency about AI-related reductions in force, and the clarification that using AI is not a defense to antidiscrimination claims. Additional provisions take effect October 1, 2027.
Jan 01
NY RAISE Act Takes Effect
New York S6953-B (RAISE Act) takes effect for frontier AI model developers with over $500M annual revenue. Requires safety protocols, AI impact assessments, 72-hour incident reporting to new NY AI oversight office. Penalties up to $1M first violation, $3M subsequent.
Jan 01
Illinois AI Safety Measures Act (SB 315) Takes Effect
Illinois SB 315 (Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act), signed by Governor Pritzker on July 6, 2026, takes effect January 1, 2027. Requires AI model developers with over $500 million in annual revenue to: publish a catastrophic risk framework; undergo annual independent third-party audits (first-in-nation requirement); report incidents within 72 hours (24 hours if imminent death/injury risk); and extend whistleblower protections. Effective the same day as Colorado SB 26-189, NY RAISE Act, creating a multi-state frontier AI compliance event.
Jan 01
Colorado SB 26-189 - ADMT Notice Framework Effective
Colorado SB 26-189 (automated decision-making technology notice-and-explanation framework) takes effect. Replaces SB 24-205's higher-risk AI compliance regime with a narrower ADMT disclosure requirement, exclusive AG enforcement.
Dec 02
EU AI Act - High-Risk AI System Obligations (Delayed, Annex III)
Stand-alone Annex III high-risk AI obligations, originally due August 2, 2026, were delayed to December 2, 2027 under the Digital Omnibus (Parliament approved June 16, 2026; formal adoption pending before August 2, 2026). Annex I embedded-product high-risk systems move to August 2, 2028. GPAI transparency in force since August 2, 2025. Penalties up to 7% global annual turnover.
Aug 02
EU AI Act - Annex I Embedded-Product High-Risk Obligations (Delayed)
High-risk obligations for AI embedded in regulated products under Annex I, deferred to August 2, 2028 under the Digital Omnibus (from the original August 2, 2027 timeline). Represents full implementation of high-risk EU AI Act requirements for product-embedded systems.