Election 2026 Artificial Intelligence

Utah State Rep. Doug Fiefia talks to Utah voters on the back deck of a house, Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Riverton, Utah. Fiefia, a Republican, has a background in technology and is running for the state senate with a pledge to tackle AI.

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Trump wants to stop states from regulating AI. This Utah Republican isn't listening

Trump wants to stop states from regulating AI. This Utah Republican isn't listening

Doug Fiefia once worked at Google. Now he's a Utah state representative running to be a state senator. And like some other tech employees who've gone into politics, he's made regulating the artificial intelligence industry a campaign centerpiece. That's put him on a collision course with President Donald Trump’s administration. Earlier this year, it helped block the lawmaker's state proposal requiring companies to include child safety protocols. The White House wants a single national AI standard. But with no progress on that front in Congress, state lawmakers are struggling to address concerns about the game-changing technology.