It’s no secret Colorado has carved out a dominant position when it comes to technological innovation. Our powerful ecosystem of small and large tech firms, universities and federal research institutions has transformed the Centennial State into a global tech leader. But though many think breakthroughs like artificial intelligence are confined to laboratories and science-fiction movies, in fact, this tech revolution has already made its way into everyday life.

Imagine this: You wake up in Denver and help your kids prepare for the school day with AI-assisted schedules and quizzes for that day’s test. On the way to school, AI-enabled cameras, sensors and software monitor crosswalks and express lanes to help bolster roadway safety.

After dropping off the kids, you head to the grocery store where you procure the freshest produce and meat because of AI tools that optimize inventory management and reduce food waste. At your doctor’s appointment, you’re able to have a productive, interactive conversation with your physician because they are not busy scribbling down notes the entire time thanks to software that takes the notes for them and uploads the information to your medical records (with the doctor’s and your approval).

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Before picking the kids up from school, you stop by the airport to pick up your friend who arrived safely due to the AI technology deployed that strengthens air travel security protocols. And that Broncos game you enjoyed this fall? Don’t worry, your sensitive information wasn’t at risk when making in-stadium purchases since the Broncos had implemented AI-powered cybersecurity software to protect fans’ and employees’ information and general safety.

Though these examples don’t grab the headlines, AI is already being leveraged to tackle some of Colorado’s most pressing challenges. For example, dozens of AI-enabled detection technologies are in use across the state, helping to quickly and accurately triangulate wildfire ignitions and mobilize resources before the fire transforms into a deadly inferno. As wildfire season expands and fires become more deadly and costly, these tools are increasingly important to detect and mitigate fire emergencies and be a force multiplier for first responders.

Unfortunately, while employers in Colorado have been on the cutting edge of AI development and adoption, state policy could undermine Colorado’s innovation economy — and the thousands of workers who support it.

Tech companies large and small, as well as associations representing employers utilizing new AI tools laid out their concerns earlier this year when Colorado was one of the first states to pass legislation regulating AI. And it wasn’t just industry stakeholders who shared concerns — Gov. Jared Polis himself expressed serious reservations about the measure, pointing out the “complex compliance regime” created by the law, urging lawmakers to fix the measure before it goes into effect in 2026. 

Thankfully, the bill sponsor and Attorney General joined the governor in issuing a joint letter last June recognizing the need to revise the bill in 2025 to ensure the “final regulatory framework will protect consumers and support Colorado’s leadership in the AI sector.”

This fall, the Colorado Business Roundtable hosted a gathering of Business Roundtable executives from across the country in Denver. These leaders, representing the business interests of their respective states, expressed keen interest in how Colorado will navigate this issue — whether it will embrace technology and innovation or risk burdening its innovation economy with excessive constraints.

Colorado cannot afford to cede our role as a global innovation hub. Fortunately, our elected leaders have a chance to reverse course and support an AI framework that strengthens rather than imperils our economic progress.

Debbie Brown is the president of the Colorado Business Roundtable, which leverages the experience of executives from Colorado’s leading employers representing academia, business, community, and government.