Montana committee hears bill to limit government use of AI; DOJ urges narrow law‑enforcement carveouts

Helena — The House Judiciary Committee on [date] heard testimony on House Bill 178, a proposal from Representative Braxton Mitchell (House District 5) to regulate state and local government use of artificial intelligence. Mitchell told the committee the bill aims to "limit misuse, ensure transparency, and preserve human oversight" by prohibiting certain applications, requiring disclosure when governments publish AI‑generated content and mandating human review of automated recommendations that could affect a person's rights.

Mitchell, the bill sponsor, said the measure would bar uses such as behavioral manipulation, unlawful discrimination, malicious actions and certain types of surveillance. He told members he planned to circulate an amendment that defines "behavioral manipulation" and said he is open to working with the Department of Justice on a law‑enforcement exemption.

The Department of Justice, represented by Alex Sturhan, director of external affairs, said DOJ was in "soft opposition" to the bill as drafted. Sturhan told the committee that some law‑enforcement applications—such as scalable…