Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation last week that amends a previously passed state law enacting AI safeguards — delaying enforcement of that initial law by several months.

Senate Bill 24-205 (SB 24-205), also known as the Colorado AI Act, was enacted in May to protect consumers from high-risk AI systems by implementing a risk management program. AI systems can pose risks of discrimination and bias in areas including hiring and education. Since the Colorado AI Act’s passage, some people have been working to slow down the regulations from taking effect.

SB 24-205 as signed in May would require AI developers to start protecting consumers from “reasonably foreseeable risks or algorithmic discrimination,” while Senate Bill 25B-004 (SB 25B-004) — signed Aug. 28 — amends that initial law to delay enforcement from Feb. 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026.

The newly signed SB 25B-004, also known as the AI Sunshine Act, will keep the key transparency and accountability measures from the Colorado AI Act intact. The legislation still aims to ensure Coloradans are protected from the foreseeable risks of high-risk systems through impact assessments, information disclosures, and publicly available risk summaries. Developers will be required to provide deployers with risk information. The key change, per the AI Sunshine Act, is the implementation date.

The proposed law initially aimed to simplify the original law and reduce obligations on Colorado businesses, but as passed, it effectively replaces the obligations enacted by the initial law, albeit on an adjusted timeline.

The AI Sunshine Act received support from a coalition of more than 50 local and national civil society organizations, including the Center for Democracy and Technology, the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado, the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, AARP Colorado, and the National Employment Law Project.

A statement from this group emphasized that further delay of these accountability and transparency protections would leave Coloradans unprotected from risks posed by automated decision-making systems and would reward the “intransigence” in negotiations between public interest groups and corporate interest groups.

“Consumers want this,” Rep. Brianna Titone, state House District 27, said in a statement. “Poll after poll after poll. Consumers want us to do something on AI.”

Some stakeholders have been urging that the Colorado AI Act should be adjusted or repealed prior to that initial February 2026 deadline. State lawmakers have explored multiple bills to amend the state’s rules. Ultimately, the deadline change was the only AI law amendment that was enacted during the state’s special session.

President Donald Trump’s new AI Action Plan includes allowances for the federal government to restrict funding to states based on their AI policies. However, there is bipartisan support for maintaining states’ authority to regulate AI technologies.

One thing about Reese Witherspoon? She is going to get women into male-dominated spaces. And if those spaces are an environmentally disastrous, creative wasteland designed to eliminate the human touch from art? Well, they could still use a feminine touch. The actress recently told Glamour that it’s “so important that women are involved in AI” lest they be left behind by the filmmaking industry.

Witherspoon and her The Morning Show co-stars are on the cover of Glamour this month to promote the show’s upcoming fourth season, and during her interview Witherspoon spent a lot of time talking about AI. The actress brought it up herself when asked how she avoids burnout in an ever-changing industry.

“I’m a very hard worker, and I like to change and adapt to new structures and new environments. I’m always looking forward to how media is evolving and how I can help be part of bringing women along in those emerging industries,” Witherspoon said. “And now we’re doing it with AI. It’s so, so important that women are involved in AI … because it will be the future of filmmaking. And you can be sad and lament it all you want, but the change is here.”

The actress added that there will “never be a lack of creativity and ingenuity and actual physical manual building of things.” “It might diminish,” she noted, “but it’s always going to be [of] the highest importance in art and in expression of self.” Hmmm.

Siding with the diminishment is not an amazing look, but it seems that Witherspoon is wholly committed to Team AI. She told the magazine that she uses AI tools “every day” for different tasks. “I use search tools, like Perplexity, every day,” Witherspoon said, “I use Vetted AI. Like, if you’re buying a blender, it’ll show you six different blenders and also recommend the best product.” For about 20 more seconds of your time, you can Google “best blender 2025” and get the same thing without contributing to the depletion of the world’s water supply, but go off.

Witherspoon didn’t stop there, going on to sing the praises of her AI assistant. “Simple AI is an AI assistant that can be really helpful for anyone out there who doesn’t want to have to make a doctor’s appointment because you don’t want to sit on hold or deal with the problems of navigating hospital systems,” she said, sounding a lot like she might be angling for a seat on the board.

This is not the first time Witherspoon has gone all-in on gender equality in the latest tech innovations. In 2022, her production company announced it would be partnering with a women-focused NFT collective to adapt the crypto-backed images into TV and movies. So far, nothing has come out of that partnership, but maybe Witherspoon’s foray into AI will be more fruitful. I look forward to the season of Big Little Lies where everyone looks a little too smooth and Nicole Kidman has a sixth finger. That’s feminism.

Beaufort County Community College (Beaufort CCC) is introducing artificial intelligence (AI) lessons into its heating and air technician and construction and building maintenances courses, making it one of the first community colleges in North Carolina to embed this technology into short-term workforce training, noted a BCCC news release.

The initiative is starting with courses in its heating and air technician program (HVAC I, II, and III) and construction and building maintenance program (Apartment Maintenance and Electrical Fundamentals). By weaving AI-related topics into these fields, Beaufort CCC is preparing students to work in an industry landscape where smart technologies and automated systems are becoming increasingly standard. Over the next two years, the college will integrate AI lessons into all its industry training and workforce initiatives in the Division of Continuing Education.

“AI can not only augment our abilities and professionals but inspire in our students the hope to achieve greater things both using AI as an advanced tool and a way to continually develop their skills to the next level,” said Justin Rose, director of industry training and workforce initiatives. “We want our students to excel in their trade and be competitive in emerging technology so they can be a leader in their field.”

The lessons cover practical applications such as AI-assisted fault detection in HVAC systems, predictive maintenance in electrical networks, and smart building management technologies. These additions align with growing industry demand for technicians who can work confidently with both traditional systems and emerging digital tools.

Workforce programs at Beaufort CCC are designed to meet immediate regional employment needs, and adding AI awareness ensures graduates can step into careers with relevant, forward-looking skills. Students will earn Microsoft badges and trophies alongside their industry recognized credentials and Beaufort CCC certificate of completion.

“This approach keeps our programs current and ensures that our graduates are employable and adaptable,” said Dr. Stacey Gerard, vice president of continuing education. “Employers want workers who can think ahead, and AI knowledge helps them do exactly that.”

The addition of AI lessons underscores Beaufort CCC’s commitment to innovation and its role as a regional leader in workforce education. The Division of Continuing Education also offers introductory workshops including AI – Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, AI – Google Workspace: Resources for your Workplace, and Harnessing Canva – Advanced AI Features.

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