Global AI Governance Law and Policy 2025: Jurisdiction Overviews

Jurisdictions worldwide are designing and implementing artificial intelligence governance laws and policies commensurate to the velocity and variety of the risks and opportunities presented by AI-powered technologies. Since the first series in 2024, the state of AI policy worldwide has evolved with many jurisdictions staking their own path.

Articles in this series, co-sponsored by HCLTech, dive into the laws, policies, broader contextual history and developments relevant to AI governance across the world. The highlighted jurisdictions have made a mark on the global conversation around AI governance and provide for a small but important snapshot of distinct approaches to AI governance in key global markets.

Each article provides a breakdown of the key sources and instruments that govern the strategic, technological and compliance landscape for AI governance in the jurisdiction through voluntary frameworks, sectoral initiatives or comprehensive legislative approaches. Special care is taken to weave together how key areas, like intellectual property or agentic AI, provide unique challenges and opportunities. Agentic AI has been a new addition to the series, as it represents the newest frontier for how organizations can realize value out of this technology. Currently, few jurisdictions have rules specific to agentic AI, but instead rely on existing legal frameworks. Read about how agentic AI is changing how organizations think about AI governance.

Series Overview

Australia
This article examines Australia’s shift from considering an EU‑style, risk‑based AI law toward a more flexible, standards‑led governance model, emphasizing accountability and innovation. It situates modern AI policy within Australia’s long history of technological research and its strengths in applied AI domains such as mining, agriculture, and health.
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Canada
This article provides an overview of Canada’s AI governance landscape, highlighting its strong research ecosystem and the Pan‑Canadian AI Strategy, which positions Canada as an early global leader in AI development. It also analyzes federal and provincial efforts to build safe, responsible AI governance through standards, charters, and significant public investment.
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China
This article explores China’s rapid advancement in AI through national strategies such as the AI Plus Action Plan and its sector‑specific regulatory approach covering algorithms, deepfakes, and generative AI. It describes China’s governance model as agile and targeted, balancing innovation with comprehensive oversight across high‑impact AI applications.
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European Union
This article analyzes the EU’s comprehensive AI governance regime centered on the EU AI Act, the world’s first overarching AI regulation. It outlines the EU’s multi‑year policy development, phased implementation timeline, and ongoing efforts to integrate the Act with broader digital rulemaking across sectors.
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India
This article traces India’s evolution from an IT‑focused digital economy to a major AI‑adopting nation, highlighting initiatives like the IndiaAI Mission and broad public‑sector digitization. It discusses how India leverages existing laws, such as the Information Technology Act, while developing governance frameworks to manage AI’s risks amid rapid national deployment.
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Japan
This article describes Japan’s human‑centric, internationally aligned AI governance approach rooted in its “Society 5.0” vision and subsequent principles‑ and guidelines‑based frameworks. It emphasizes Japan’s agile governance model, which blends soft law instruments with targeted regulatory structures to support responsible innovation.
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Singapore
This article outlines Singapore’s principles‑based, innovation‑forward AI governance model, anchored in initiatives such as the National AI Strategy (NAIS) and NAIS 2.0. It highlights Singapore’s global leadership in AI through flexible guidelines, cross‑agency coordination, and regional and international cooperation.
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South Korea
This article examines South Korea’s AI Basic Act—the world’s second comprehensive AI law after the EU AI Act—set to take effect in January 2026. It explains how South Korea balances promotion of AI innovation with regulatory safeguards across high‑impact AI uses, supported by significant national investment and new governance bodies.
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United Arab Emirates
This article reviews the UAE’s decade‑long effort to integrate AI into national development, governed primarily through policies, ethical guidelines, and sector‑specific initiatives rather than dedicated legislation. It highlights the UAE’s strategic investment, international alignment, and institution‑building to position AI as a national asset while advancing responsible governance frameworks.
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United Kingdom
This article surveys the U.K.’s decentralized, principles‑based AI governance model, centered on empowering existing regulators and supported by institutions like the AI Security Institute. It notes the absence of comprehensive legislation but describes ongoing policy development, including a potential future AI bill focused on high‑impact systems.
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United States
his article provides an overview of U.S. AI governance, which is fragmented across federal and state frameworks, with initiatives spanning executive orders, agency‑specific guidance, and sectoral regulations. It highlights the U.S. emphasis on innovation, competition, and risk‑based oversight, contributing to ongoing policy evolution across levels of government.
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AI governance in the agentic era URL
This supplementary article explores the emerging governance challenges posed by agentic AI systems, which act autonomously and require new models of oversight, accountability, and risk management. It describes how jurisdictions are beginning to adapt existing regulatory frameworks while anticipating future rules for autonomy‑driven AI behavior.
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Further Info

Tracking, unpacking and governing the complex field of global AI governance law and policy has quickly become a top-tier strategic issue for organizations. The IAPP AI Governance domain page provides AI governance professionals with the content, resources, networking, training and certification needed to respond to the field’s complex risks. We welcome feedback and insights from the community of AI governance professionals.

The IAPP additionally hosts a Global AI Law and Policy Tracker, which identifies AI legislative and policy developments in a subset of jurisdictions.

A previous edition of this series was published in 2024.