The White House has released its National Framework for AI, sharing a federal approach focused on innovation and light-touch oversight.
Notably, the framework says little about advertising.
At the same time, states are starting to move. In New York, for example, a newly passed law requires advertisers to disclose when ads use AI-generated “synthetic performers.”
While Washington is holding back on regulating AI, signaling, instead, a preference for a unified national approach, states are beginning to define the rules themselves.
Why This Matters:
At the federal level, the message is clear: don’t overregulate.
The framework leans on industry-led standards and existing oversight bodies. It also calls for a national standard that could preempt state laws that seem onerous.
For advertising and adtech, that’s familiar territory. The industry has long leaned on self-regulation while avoiding hard mandates.
There are two notable exceptions. The framework reinforces that existing child privacy laws apply to AI, including limits on data collection and targeted advertising to minors. It also proposes a future federal framework around AI-generated likenesses, including voice and identity rights.
Experts React:
Not everyone is aligned with the White House’s light-touch approach.
New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer pushed back on the framework, arguing it “broadly blocks state AI laws” and lacks consumer protections, particularly around model and agent safety. He also warned that relying on voluntary standards risks turning the AI industry into the “Wild West.”
Gottheimer also said that preemption should only happen if a strong federal standard replaces state laws, something he argues this framework doesn’t achieve.
Here’s his full statement:
Our Take:
Advertising and adtech are easy targets for AI regulation. Ads are very visible, obviously, as people see (hundreds of) them every day.
That regulation may not come from the federal government, but states like New York are already stepping in. In that sense, the policy may give the industry more room to operate… for now.
