Missouri lawmakers are concerned about artificial intelligence (AI). Most Missouri citizens interact with AI daily — though it’s rarely disclosed that you are communicating with a computer rather than a human. Sometimes it’s obvious and other times AI projecting itself as human is disturbingly real.

No doubt AI as a tool in the right hands can benefit mankind. However in the wrong hands it is a tool for evil and a threat to your liberty.

Eleven bills have been prefiled by Missouri lawmakers dealing with potential malice or harm from AI.

Elon Musk is concerned and posted this warning:

“The pace of progress in artificial intelligence … is incredibly fast. Unless you have direct exposure to groups like Deepmind, you have no idea how fast—it is growing at a pace close to exponential. The risk of something seriously dangerous happening is in the five-year time frame. 10 years at most.”

Musk posted that warning on Twitter 11 years ago!

Senator Mike Moon’s bill, SB859, provides that an artificial intelligence (AI) system shall be declared a non-sentient entity and shall not be considered or recognized as a person, spouse or domestic partner, or designated, appointed, or serve as any officer, director, manager, or similar role within any company.

SB859 continues: AI systems shall not be recognized as legal entities capable of owning title to property, as described in the act. Any assets associated with the AI system shall be attributed to human individuals or organizations responsible for the AI’s development, deployment, or operation.

Senator Brad Hudson’s bill, SB1324 creates the “Missouri Artificial Intelligence Transparency and Accountability Act”.

SB1324: Any person or entity creating AI-generated content shall label the content as “AI-generated”. Labeling requirements are described in the act.

SB1324 continues: Any AI-generated content depicting a real individual shall include an additional disclaimer, as described in the act. Deployers, as defined in the act, shall verify the authenticity of the content before generating the content and shall obtain consent from the individual depicted in the content, except when the content is used for parody or satire.

Big Tech loves their new AI toys and does not want states regulating AI. At the request of Big Tech companies, on Dec. 11, Donald Trump issued an executive order banning states from regulating AI.

Thirty-eight states enacted laws in 2025 regulating AI in one way or another. They range from prohibiting stalking via AI-powered robots to barring AI systems that can manipulate people’s behavior. David Sacks, the chair of a White House board on technology, said there are currently more than 1,000 pending AI regulation bills in state legislatures.

The federal government has no jurisdiction to ban the states from regulating AI based on the 10th amendment of the U.S. The Constitution.

The text of the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Maybe 2026 will be the year that our current Missouri legislators stand up to the federal government to protect the sovereignty and rights of our citizens and our state.