England's AI in Schools, US Security Act, and Disney vs. Midjourney - AI Policy Brief #22

Hi there,

Welcome to this week's edition of the AI Policy Brief, your go-to source for the latest updates on AI regulations, safety standards, and government policies worldwide. This week, we're covering a range of significant developments, including England's Education Department providing new guidelines for AI use by teachers, and the introduction of the AI Training Extension Act of 2025 by the US Congress. These initiatives highlight the growing focus on integrating AI responsibly in education and workforce training.

On the international front, Nepal has unveiled its AI roadmap during the launch of its Human Development Report, while the White House is addressing concerns over AI chip smuggling and regulation. Additionally, Taiwan has imposed export controls on Huawei and SMIC, reflecting ongoing geopolitical tensions in the tech industry. Stay tuned for more insights and detailed analysis in this edition.

The Department for Education in England has issued guidance for teachers to utilize AI in low-stakes marking and routine communications, aiming to reduce workloads while ensuring transparency and accuracy. The AI Training Extension Act of 2025 has been introduced by Representatives Nancy Mace and Shontel Brown to expand AI training for US federal employees, enhancing the existing framework from the 2022 Act.

At the launch of the 2025 Human Development Report in Kathmandu, Nepal's Minister for Communication and Information Technology introduced the country's AI roadmap. David Sacks, the White House AI czar, commented on AI chip smuggling and potential regulatory impacts on the market.

The Pennsylvania House is reviewing a bill to ban AI-generated depictions of candidates in political ads within 90 days of an election. The Arkansas Supreme Court has proposed an order addressing the use of AI in legal documents, focusing on confidentiality concerns. Singapore has launched new initiatives for regulating generative AI, led by the AI Verify Foundation and the Infocomm Media Development Authority. OpenAI has banned accounts in the Philippines for generating social media comments supporting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The Senate Commerce Committee Republicans have suggested an alternative to a provision in Trump's spending bill regarding AI regulation.

The U.S. Congress has introduced the Advanced AI Security Readiness Act, aiming to direct the NSA to develop a security playbook to protect American AI technology from foreign threats, particularly from China.

The Canadian federal government has introduced the RAISE program to assist non-profits in adopting AI responsibly, with a focus on diversity and equity. The initiative includes training and support for integrating AI technologies.

The New York State Legislature has approved the RAISE Act, requiring major AI developers to implement safety plans and report incidents to enhance AI safety and accountability. The act awaits Governor Kathy Hochul's decision.

IYO, Inc. has initiated legal action against OpenAI and others, alleging trademark infringement over the use of the name 'IO' for competing products, which they claim leads to market confusion. Disney and Universal Studios have filed a lawsuit against Midjourney for allegedly using copyrighted works without permission to train AI models, resulting in unauthorized copies of characters from their franchises.