Lawmakers in more than 20 states have proposed over 50 bills addressing artificial intelligence in K–12 classrooms, according to a Center for Democracy and Technology analysis, while a Gallup workforce survey shows roughly one-quarter of employed adults use AI at least a few times a week. CDT analyst Maddy Dwyer described the legislative activity as “unprecedented.” The state bills cluster around five policy aims—AI literacy, responsible-use guidance, task forces, prohibitions on certain classroom uses, and protections against AI-generated nonconsensual imagery. At the same time Gallup found adoption is highest in technology and finance sectors, with about 60% of tech workers using AI frequently, signaling a policy-versus-practice gap affecting teacher training, admissions pipelines, and campus technology planning.