A majority of both Democrats and Republicans in one of Colorado’s most competitive congressional districts say they support federal regulations on artificial intelligence, according to a recent survey.

Members of both major parties residing in the state’s 8th Congressional District were asked their opinions on AI regulation as part of a nationwide survey of 20,000 voters in 28 of the country’s most competitive districts.

“We’re surveying to determine how much common ground there is in Colorado’s most competitive congressional district, and other battleground states and districts,” said Steven Kull, director of the University of Maryland’s Program for Public Consultation. “In this first survey, it is clear there is broad agreement among Democrats and Republicans that the federal government should play an active role in regulating artificial intelligence.”

According to the survey, 80% of Democrats and 84% of Republicans say they support creating a new federal agency to “monitor new AI programs and try to anticipate potential problems, define best practices for developing and using AI programs, make policy recommendations, and enforce regulations.” The same percentage also say they believe new AI programs should pass a government-designed test before being released to the public.

Further, 71% of Democrats and 72% of Republicans say they believe the government should be allowed to audit AI programs already in use.

Respondents were also asked about deepfakes — images or videos in which a person’s face, body or voice has been imitated using artificial intelligence. An estimated 89% of respondents in both parties say any publicly distributed deepfake should carry a label stating that it isn’t real and was generated by AI.

The same percentage also say they believe political campaigns should be prohibited from using deepfakes in their campaign advertisements. A Colorado law passed in 2024 does just that, while also allowing candidates who were the subject of an unsanctioned deepfake to sue for damages.

Colorado has passed several artificial intelligence regulations, notably Senate Bill 205 in 2024, and its successor, this year’s Senate Bill 189. The business community and several state leaders had sharply criticized the former, with many worrying about their effect on attracting or driving away technology companies. The latter was billed as a fix to the 2024 legislation.

Some have surmised that the regulation was among the reasons that Palantir Technologies, which has a market capitalization reported at $328 billion, moved its corporate headquarters from Denver to Miami.

Under the bill, developers of “automated decision-making technology” — defined as technology that processes personal data and uses computation to generate output to make, guide or assist in a decision, judgment or determination concerning an individual — must disclose its intended use to deployers and users. The bill also requires developers to notify deployers of the categories of training data, known limitations and instructions for appropriate use and human review.

The legislation includes user disclosure requirements. Under the measure, if a consumer alleges that the automated decision-making was used to make a consequential decision resulting in an “adverse outcome,” deployers would be required to provide a description of the role the technology played in influencing that decision.

The bill also grants consumers the right to request personal data, to have incorrect data used in automated decision-making corrected and to request “meaningful human review” following a “consequential decision” resulting in an adverse outcome.

Congress has yet to pass a comprehensive artificial intelligence policy at the federal level, though President Donald Trump issued an executive order in December that, in part, directs the U.S. Attorney General to establish an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge states’ artificial intelligence laws that “unconstitutionally regulate interstate commerce, preempted by existing Federal regulations, or are otherwise unlawful in the Attorney General’s judgment.”

The president’s order also prohibits states with regulations deemed to be in conflict with the administration’s agenda from receiving Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) funding, which provides funding for high-speed internet access in underserved communities.

In March, the Trump administration unveiled its national policy framework for artificial intelligence, which includes policy directions in seven areas, including intellectual property, free speech and preempting state laws.

“I absolutely support federal regulations for AI that protect consumers while keeping America at the forefront of innovation,” said U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, a Republican who represents CD 8. “That’s why I introduced the bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act and voted in favor of the Kids Act — legislation that protects families, mandates responsible AI development, and ensures the United States can outcompete adversaries like Communist China.”

“Denver Democrats have taken the opposite approach,” he added. “Their excessive regulations have made Colorado the third most expensive and sixth most heavily regulated state in the nation, driving away businesses, jobs, and hardworking families. We should be setting clear standards that encourage innovation and economic growth while protecting Colorado’s consumers and communities.”

State Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City, who is running against Evans in the November election, issued the following statement:

“I’ve delivered on my promise to protect Coloradans from the risks of AI, passing common-sense laws that Gabe Evans opposed. I understand that important decisions around your family’s healthcare, your hard-earned job, and your fundamental rights should be decided by people, not harmful algorithms or powerful corporations.”