Research from the Yale School of Management’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute (CELI) will help Connecticut legislators draft regulations to guide the use of artificial intelligence in the state.
Students in CELI’s Yale AI Policy Student Team —including two students in the Jackson School’s Schmidt Program on Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technology, and National Power — spent several weeks in January creating a comprehensive overview of the current AI regulatory frontier along with recommendations tailored to the state of Connecticut.
On January 24, just as the state legislature was beginning its new session, the team delivered a 50-slide presentation to Governor Ned Lamont and his cabinet. The legislature is developing guidelines for the fast-evolving AI space this year.
Weeks earlier, Lamont had contacted CELI president and Yale professor Jeffrey Sonnenfeld to ask CELI to evaluate the state’s current AI regulation, review legislation in other states, survey global developments, and offer proposals for how Connecticut might position itself.
“The project provided an opportunity to tap student expertise in economics, law, public policy, computer science, engineering, and AI to develop cutting-edge guidelines for this hugely disruptive technology,” Sonnenfeld said. “The recommendations encourage innovative development along with safe, responsible use of these new tools.”
The team’s “core investigators” included Schmidt Program students Dan Kent MPP ’26 and Delia Reyes MBA ’25, as well as Yale students Gigi Hsu, Amy Choi, Tate Lloyd and Ash Duong.
Kent focused on evaluating AI policies passed by other states. “Two things struck me most,” he said. “The first was the breadth of laws that have already been passed, and the second was the bipartisan consensus on many AI issues. Despite the different approaches states take, there is universal acknowledgement that this technology is important for every level of government to grapple with.”
Reyes’ role on the team focused on proposing best practices derived from previously submitted legislative bills, as well as reviewing extensive prior research.
“This project was the perfect opportunity to deepen my understanding of the political landscape around AI, which I believe is essential for comprehensive technological governance,” Reyes said. “As a New Haven resident, I was particularly motivated by the chance to contribute meaningfully to a state that has offered me so much.”
The team also consulted 10 Yale professors from various academic disciples and more than 10 industry officials.
“The AI landscape is constantly evolving, and I’m proud that we have a strong partner here in Connecticut, the Yale School of Management, to help us understand its impact in our state and across the nation,” Lamont said. “The insights from Stephen, Jeff, and CELI will ensure we stay ahead of the curve in how we engage with AI.”
This story originally appeared on the Yale School of Management website