Arlington, VA-Logan Kolas, Director of Technology Policy at the American Consumer Institute (ACI), delivered testimony on March 17th before the Ohio House Technology and Innovation Committee on House Bill 628, emphasizing the need to carefully balance innovation and risk in artificial intelligence policy.
Kolas highlighted that HB 628 represents a promising “soft law” approach to AI governance—one that relies on voluntary compliance and market-driven incentives rather than rigid mandates. He noted that Ohio has historically led in this area, citing prior efforts to create affirmative defenses in cybersecurity and privacy law that encourage best practices without stifling innovation.
However, the testimony warned that without proper safeguards, the bill could enable unintended consequences. Kolas outlined concerns about potential government overreach, including pressure from regulators on companies to adopt voluntary certifications, as well as the risk that a voluntary framework could eventually become mandatory.
Kolas also cautioned against broader trends in AI regulation, noting the rapid proliferation of state-level legislation and the potential for overly burdensome rules to undermine U.S. competitiveness in emerging technologies.
In closing, Kolas praised HB 628 as a “thoughtful and humble” framework that restores legal certainty while preserving flexibility, urging lawmakers to pair the bill with protections against future regulatory expansion.
Read Logan’s testimony here.
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