How AI regulation could shake out in 2025

The U.S. political landscape is set to undergo some shifts in 2025 — and those changes will have some major implications for the regulation of artificial intelligence.

President-elect Donald Trump will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. Joining him in the White House will be a raft of top advisors from the world of business — including Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — who are expected to influence policy thinking around nascent technologies such as AI and cryptocurrencies.

Across the Atlantic, a tale of two jurisdictions has emerged, with the U.K. and European Union diverging in regulatory thinking. While the EU has taken more of a heavy hand with the Silicon Valley giants behind the most powerful AI systems, Britain has adopted a more light-touch approach.

In 2025, the state of AI regulation globally could be in for a major overhaul. CNBC takes a look at some of the key developments to watch — from the evolution of the EU's landmark AI Act to what a Trump administration could do for the U.S.

Although it's not an issue that featured very heavily during Trump's election campaign, artificial intelligence is expected to be one of the key sectors set to benefit from the next U.S. administration.

For one, Trump appointed Musk, CEO of electric car manufacturer Tesla, to co-lead his "Department of Government Efficiency" alongside Ramaswamy, an American biotech entrepreneur who dropped out of the 2024 presidential election race to back Trump.

Matt Calkins, CEO of Appian, told CNBC Trump's close relationship with Musk could put the U.S. in a good position when it comes to AI, citing the billionaire's experience as a co-founder of OpenAI and CEO of xAI, his own AI lab, as positive indicators.

"We've finally got one person in the U.S.