Who's actually governing AI?
The rules for the most powerful technology ever built are being written right now, in treaties, national laws, safety institutes and voluntary commitments. This tracker maps the major moves. Filter by jurisdiction, including a close look at what China is really doing on AI safety.
Last reviewed · auto-refreshed monthly as the landscape changes.
The most common argument against slowing down is: “It doesn't matter what we do, China will race ahead.” The record complicates that story. China issued binding rules on recommendation algorithms, deepfakes and generative AI before most Western governments, published a national AI Safety Governance Framework, and its scientists have signed international statements calling for AI “red lines.”
None of this means China is a benign actor or that coordination is easy. It means the premise that China is uninterested in AI safety is empirically weak, and a weak premise is a bad foundation for betting the future on speed. Filter to China above to see the record, and read our full China myth analysis.
This is a curated selection of the most significant AI-governance milestones, not an exhaustive legal database. Each entry is a real, verifiable event; dates refer to when a measure was announced, passed or entered into force, as noted.
Governance moves fast, if you spot something we've missed or that needs updating, tell us.
Governance only works if it's built for the stakes.
A patchwork of voluntary commitments and national laws is a start, but superintelligence is a global problem that needs enforceable, international guardrails. That is what this foundation works toward. Get our briefings on the policy fight and how to help.