The European Union rolled out the final phase of its AI Act this week, focusing on high-risk AI like medical diagnosis tools and job screening systems. Companies must now:

• Conduct bias checks before launching AI
• Keep logs of all AI decisions
• Allow human workers to override automated choices. Firms breaking these rules face fines up to 7% of global revenue.

California made two big AI laws:

1. SB 942: All AI-generated images/videos must include hidden data stamps showing:
   • Creator name
   • AI model version
   • Creation date
2. AB 2013: AI developers must publicly share what training data they used, including any copyrighted material.

In employment news, Colorado’s AI Act (effective 2026) requires companies to:

• Tell job applicants when AI is used in hiring
• Let people challenge AI decisions
• Do yearly bias audits. Pizza Hut and Walmart have already started updating their hiring systems.

Texas proposed the strictest U.S. AI bill yet (TRAIGA), which would:

• Ban AI for social credit scores
• Require government approval for AI in schools
• Create a public list of “approved” AI tools. However, business groups argue it would hurt small tech companies.

Agentic AI (systems that make plans without human input) became a hot topic. The EU is debating whether to:

• Limit how many self-learning cycles these AI can do
• Require emergency stop buttons
• Make developers liable for AI actions. Microsoft recently paused its Project Nomad AI agent over safety concerns.

Globally, 47 countries adopted new OECD AI rules for:

• Transparent decision-making
• Environmental impact reports
• Child protection features. However, China and Russia refused to join, raising fears of a AI regulation split.

Companies are using new tools like Credo AI’s Trust Score to check if their AI meets multiple countries’ rules. IBM released free bias-detection software to help small businesses.

Lawyers warn that AI copyright battles will grow as more artists sue over training data. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case about AI-generated music sampling next month.