IAPP Global AI Legislation Tracker

A few days ago, I wrote about IAPP’s initiative mapping DPO and privacy requirements across different legal systems. That publication already showed how complex global privacy governance has become.

Now, it is worth looking at another valuable resource: the Global AI Legislation Tracker.

In the current environment, where AI development moves faster than almost any other technology, regulatory activity is accelerating just as quickly. Governments, regulators and policymakers across the world are working on laws, executive orders, sectoral guidance and national AI strategies. The result is a landscape that is increasingly fragmented, dynamic and politically influenced.

Photo: Freepik

The IAPP tracker does not try to simplify this complexity into a single narrative. Instead, it provides a structured overview of enacted laws, draft bills, regulatory proposals and policy initiatives across jurisdictions. For practitioners working in AI governance, compliance, cybersecurity or legal advisory, this kind of visibility is becoming essential.

What becomes clear when reviewing the tracker is that AI regulation is not synonymous with the EU AIAct. While the EU has introduced one of the most comprehensive risk-based regulatory frameworks, other jurisdictions are developing their own approaches. In the United States, federal initiatives coexist with state-level legislation. In Asia-Pacific, several countries are advancing AI governance through national strategies and sectoral regulation. Other regions are exploring innovation-focused models while still strengthening accountability mechanisms.

For global organizations, this means AI compliance cannot be handled through a single policy or framework. AI intersects with privacy law, cybersecurity regulation, consumer protection, sectoral financial and healthcare rules, export controls and intellectual property. Without continuous monitoring of developments across jurisdictions, companies risk misalignment between global governance strategies and local legal requirements.

At the same time, I would encourage professionals not to rely exclusively on secondary summaries, even high-quality ones like IAPP’s. Regulatory trackers are excellent navigation tools, but they are not substitutes for reviewing source legislation and official documents.

From a governance perspective, regulatory intelligence is becoming a strategic capability. Organizations that systematically track AI-related developments, analyze primary sources and integrate findings into their risk management processes will be better positioned not only to remain compliant, but also to build trust and resilience.

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Author: Sebastian Burgemejster