Arkansas AI Laws: What's Enacted and What's Next (2027)

As of November 2026, Arkansas has not enacted a comprehensive AI law. Its AI-specific statutes are targeted 2025 acts, all in force since August 5, 2025: Act 927 (HB 1876, ownership of generative AI output), Act 159 (HB 1071, AI voice and likeness), Act 848 (HB 1958, public-entity AI policies), and the deepfake and child sexual abuse material acts 827 and 977. The 2026 sessions passed no act that names AI.

This page covers Arkansas state law on artificial intelligence. Deepfakes and AI meeting recorders get short summaries here and have their own pages. For other states and the national picture, see our guide to state and federal AI laws.

Arkansas AI Laws at a Glance

Every act below took effect August 5, 2025. None has an emergency clause, so each took effect on the general effective date for that session rather than on signing.

Act 927 (HB 1876): Who Owns AI-Generated Content in Arkansas

Act 927, at Ark. Code 18-4-101, answers ownership in two separate rules with different conditions.

Generated content. "The person who provides the input or directive to the generative artificial intelligence tool shall be the owner of the generated content, provided that the content does not infringe on existing copyrights or intellectual property rights."

Trained models. The person who provides data or input to train a generative AI model owns the resulting trained model, provided that the training data "is lawfully acquired" and the person "has not transferred ownership rights through a contract or agreement." The lawful-acquisition condition belongs to this rule, not to the content rule.

Employees. If an employee "is directed to use a generative artificial intelligence tool" as part of employment duties, the resulting model training data and generated content are the employer's property. That applies only if the use is within the scope of employment and under the employer's direction and control.

The act names no enforcing agency and sets no penalty.

Act 159 (HB 1071): AI Voice and Likeness Under the Frank Broyles Act

Act 159 amended the Frank Broyles Publicity Rights Protection Act. "Likeness" now reaches a reproduction of an individual's image "including without limitation generation through means of artificial intelligence." "Voice" covers a sound readily identifiable and attributable to a person, whether real or a simulation, including one "generated through means of artificial intelligence." "Photograph" includes AI-generated image, video or three-dimensional generation.

The Legislature's summary of 2025 legislation says the act lets a person whose photograph, voice or likeness is reproduced using AI "and used for unauthorized commercial purposes" sue "for damages and to recover lost profits, funds, goods, or services from the unauthorized commercial use."

A service provider's protection now turns on "actual knowledge that a photograph, voice, or likeness on the system or network is in violation."

Act 848 (HB 1958): AI Policies for Arkansas Public Entities

Act 848 amended Ark. Code 25-1-128. The House passed it 93-0 with 2 present, and the Senate 35-0.

It defines "artificial intelligence" as "a machine-based system that can, based on a given set of human-defined objectives, make predictions, recommendations, or decisions influencing a real or virtual environment." An "automated decision tool" is a system or service using AI that was developed and marketed, or modified, "to make or to be a controlling factor in making consequential decisions."

A public entity must create a policy that defines authorized use and "requires an authorized human employee or designee to make any final decision," regardless of what the AI or tool recommends. It must also have a training program and a disciplinary procedure. "Public entity" reaches political subdivisions, school districts, charter schools and higher education.

The duty to share is narrower. Under 25-1-128(c)(1), the policy "for each state entity shall be available to the public upon request." "State entity" means a shorter list of departments, the State Highway Commission, the Arkansas Department of Transportation, the Game and Fish Commission and higher education. The Department of Education develops policies for state educational institutions.

Arkansas Attorney General's Lawsuit Against OpenAI (2026)

Attorney General Griffin announced a suit against OpenAI on October 14, 2026. The complaint is stamped filed that day in Faulkner County Circuit Court, No. 23CV-26-2984.

This is a consumer protection case, not an AI statute. The release lists claims under the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Children's and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, plus common law claims including negligence, strict liability and public nuisance. It says the state alleges OpenAI represented ChatGPT as safe while knowing of significant risks. These are allegations, and we read no later filing.

The relief sought includes an injunction, including against collecting minors' data, clear disclosures of ChatGPT's material risks, restitution and civil penalties.

Attorneys general in Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska and West Virginia announced separate suits against OpenAI on October 14, 2026. Official releases from several of those states also name Kansas.

Arkansas Deepfake Laws (Acts 827 and 977)

Act 827 makes it a crime to knowingly create or distribute, without consent of the person depicted, deepfake visual material showing another identifiable person in a state of nudity or engaging in sexual conduct, such that an ordinary person would conclude the depiction is of that person. It is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class D felony after that (Ark. Code 5-14-139).

Ark. Code 16-118-119 lets the Attorney General sue a provider or developer of image generation technology that lacked reasonable safeguards, and lets a person injured sue with a right to attorney's fees if they prevail.

Act 977 adds computer-generated material, meaning produced, adapted or modified in whole or in part through AI, that is indistinguishable from a real child to child sexual abuse material offenses. "Indistinguishable" means an ordinary person would conclude it depicts an actual child, and drawings, cartoons, sculptures and paintings are excluded.

Act 981 separately amended the intimate image distribution offense, and its text does not mention AI. Elements and victim options are on our Arkansas deepfake laws page.

What Arkansas Has Not Enacted

We searched the text of all 1,026 acts of the 2025 regular session, the 174 acts of the 2026 fiscal session and the 2 acts of the 2026 extraordinary session on the Legislature's site, as of November 4, 2026. The terms were artificial intelligence, chatbot, machine learning, deepfake, generative, automated decision and algorithm.

Only the acts above matched on AI terms. We found no act on frontier AI models, AI in hiring, AI in health care or companion chatbots. "Algorithm" also appears in Act 901, a social media law, and Act 997, a Uniform Commercial Code act, and neither is an AI statute. A keyword search can miss a provision that uses none of those words, and it does not cover bills that failed.

We did not run a full search of agency rules or court dockets, so we make no statement about either. We found no AI order among the executive orders shown on the governor's page.

SB 258 (2025). The Arkansas Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Trust Act was a general consumer privacy bill. The engrossed text of April 7, 2025, the version we read, has no high-risk AI or developer duties, and it mentions AI once, in its findings. It failed third reading on April 8 and April 10, 2025, and died on the Senate calendar at sine die on May 5, 2025.

AI Note-Takers and Recording in Arkansas

We classify Arkansas as a one-party consent state for recording. For how that applies to meeting bots, see our Arkansas AI meeting recording laws page.

How Federal AI Policy Affects Arkansas

As of November 4, 2026, we found no federal statute in the public laws of the 119th Congress that sets general rules for private AI systems or generally preempts state AI laws. In December 2025, Executive Order 14365 directed federal agencies to challenge or discourage state AI laws the administration views as conflicting with national policy, and called for a federal framework from Congress. The order itself does not declare any state law invalid. See our state AI law preemption tracker.

What Changes in Arkansas AI Law in 2027

As of November 4, 2026, we found no AI law scheduled to take effect in Arkansas in 2027; we searched the full text of every act of the 2025 regular session, the 2026 fiscal session and the 2026 extraordinary session on the Legislature's site for the terms listed above.

Two things could still change the picture:

• The January 2027 regular session. The next regular session convenes in January 2027. As of November 4, 2026, the Legislature's House and Senate bill lists for the 2027 regular session showed no bills, so we read no prefiled bill.
• The OpenAI suit. The case is pending in Faulkner County Circuit Court, No. 23CV-26-2984. Our latest read is the complaint filed October 14, 2026, so we report no ruling either way.

This page is general legal information about Arkansas law as of November 4, 2026, not legal advice. Whether a law applies to a particular person or business depends on the facts, so consult a lawyer licensed in Arkansas for advice about your situation.

More Arkansas Laws

• Arkansas Recording Laws
• Arkansas Data Privacy Laws
• Arkansas Surveillance Camera Laws
• Arkansas Background Check Laws
• Arkansas Sexting Laws
• Arkansas Deepfake Laws
• Arkansas AI Meeting Recording Laws

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Arkansas have an AI law?

Arkansas has no comprehensive AI law as of November 2026. It has targeted 2025 acts on ownership of AI output (Act 927), AI voice and likeness (Act 159), public-entity AI policies (Act 848), and sexual deepfakes and computer-generated child sexual abuse material (Acts 827 and 977).

Who owns AI-generated content in Arkansas?

Under Act 927 (Ark. Code 18-4-101), the person who provides the input or directive owns the generated content, provided it does not infringe existing copyrights or intellectual property rights. An employer owns the output if an employee was directed to use the tool within the scope of employment and under the employer's direction and control.

Who owns a trained AI model in Arkansas?

Under Act 927, the person who provides the data or input to train a generative AI model owns the trained model, provided the training data was lawfully acquired and the person has not transferred ownership rights through a contract or agreement.

Can someone use AI to copy my voice in Arkansas?

Act 159 amended the Frank Broyles Publicity Rights Protection Act so voice and likeness include AI-generated versions. The Legislature's summary says a person whose photograph, voice or likeness is reproduced using AI and used for unauthorized commercial purposes can sue for damages and to recover lost profits, funds, goods or services.

Do Arkansas government agencies need an AI policy?

Yes. Act 848 requires public entities, including political subdivisions, school districts, charter schools and higher education, to adopt an AI and automated decision tool policy requiring an authorized human to make any final decision. The duty to share the policy on request applies to state entities, a narrower group.

Are deepfakes illegal in Arkansas?

Certain ones. Under Act 827, knowingly creating or distributing deepfake visual material showing another identifiable person in a state of nudity or engaging in sexual conduct, without consent of the person depicted, is a Class A misdemeanor for a first offense and a Class D felony after that. Act 977 covers computer-generated child sexual abuse material indistinguishable from a real child.

Why did Arkansas sue OpenAI?

On October 14, 2026, Attorney General Griffin sued OpenAI in Faulkner County Circuit Court, No. 23CV-26-2984. His release alleges OpenAI represented ChatGPT as safe while knowing of significant risks, and lists deceptive trade practices, children's privacy and common law claims. These are allegations, and we report no ruling.

Does Arkansas have an AI hiring law?

We found none. A text search of every act from the 2025 regular session and the 2026 sessions, as of November 4, 2026, found no act on AI in hiring. A keyword search can miss a provision that uses none of the terms searched. Act 927 does address who owns AI output created by an employee.

Did Arkansas pass SB 258?

No. SB 258, the Arkansas Digital Responsibility, Safety, and Trust Act, failed third reading twice in April 2025 and died on the Senate calendar on May 5, 2025. The engrossed text we read is a consumer privacy bill, not a high-risk AI bill.

Will Arkansas AI law change in 2027?

As of November 4, 2026, we found no AI law scheduled to take effect in Arkansas in 2027. The next regular session convenes in January 2027, and we read no prefiled bill.