AI Legal Watch: September 2

America vs. China: Diverging Paths in AI Policy
Nick Palmieri
Recently, the United States released America's AI Action Plan. Shortly after, at the 2025 World AI Conference, the Chinese government released its own AI Action Plan. While there are significant overlaps between the two plans (and the Chinese plan is provided at a much higher level and in more general terms), there are also some significant differences between the two, which may impact how businesses seek to approach their AI development, in the U.S., in China, and everywhere in between.

Approach to Innovation and Regulation
The U.S. plan prioritizes deregulation, removal of bureaucratic barriers, and the creation of a pro-innovation environment for the private sector. American's Plan seeks to eliminate "onerous" regulations, in part by encouraging open-source innovations and accelerating the adoption of AI both publicly and privately. The plan is explicit in rejecting regulatory approaches that could