The AI legislation and regulation landscape is evolving rapidly. To keep track of developments in real-time, an AI Tracker has been created to monitor AI legislation, regulation, guidance, and more worldwide. In this blog post, significant developments in AI regulation and legislation for 2025 in the APAC, EMEA, and AMER regions are surveyed. The US is leading the way in AI regulation, with almost 250 laws in progress at the federal level alone. The EU AI Act came into force in May 2024. China passed several AI laws, Australia introduced its first AI law, and South Korea passed the Basic Act on the Development of AI. Countries in Central and South America and Africa are also beginning to propose AI laws.

Competition authorities from the UK, US, and EU have published a joint statement outlining potential risks to fair competition that can emerge from generative AI and the principles needed to support competition and innovation while protecting consumers. These principles include fair dealing, interoperability, and choice, with a focus on informing consumers about when and how AI is used in products and services. Agencies in the US and UK are cracking down on AI risks and becoming increasingly vocal about the need to ensure AI complies with existing laws and does not harm consumers.

Recent legal developments have highlighted critical questions regarding fairness, accountability, and the protection of rights in the digital age, specifically in relation to AI. This has led to an explosion of laws and regulations being introduced globally to tackle the challenges posed by AI. The blog highlights key developments in the US, including legal actions in AI, navigating the era of deepfakes, and recent AI US legislation and regulations across sectors. The blog also covers advancements in AI governance in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, emphasizing a shared commitment to harnessing AI's potential while managing associated risks.

The Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom hosted the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, building on the momentum of the UK's AI Safety Summit in 2023. The summit brought together global leaders from government, industry, academia, and civil society to explore cooperation on AI safety, innovation, and inclusivity. The summit resulted in the Seoul Declaration, Seoul Statement of Intent, and Seoul Ministerial Statement, which emphasized the importance of international collaboration and cooperation on AI safety. The summit also led to the establishment of new AI safety institutes and Frontier AI Security Commitments signed by 16 global AI technology companies. A third AI summit is scheduled for Paris in early 2025.

Governments around the world are increasingly coming together to address challenges posed by the development of AI systems. Discussions on safety, security, trustworthiness, and responsible development are at the forefront of these efforts. Notable international developments include the US and UK partnership to develop tests for advanced AI models, the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of its first landmark resolution on AI, the UK and Republic of Korea's upcoming AI Seoul Summit, joint international guidance on the secure deployment of AI systems, updates to the EU-US Terminology and Taxonomy for AI, and the US and China's agreement to develop a framework for the responsible development of AI. The growing importance of compliance in AI governance is also emphasized.