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 · we update this 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.