Student Team Creates AI Policy Recommendations for Connecticut State Government

Research from Yale SOM will help Connecticut legislators draft regulations to guide the use of artificial intelligence in the state.

The Yale AI Policy Student Team, an interdisciplinary group convened by SOM’s Chief Executive Leadership Institute, spent several weeks in January creating a comprehensive overview of the current AI regulatory frontier along with recommendations tailored to the state of Connecticut.

On January 24, just as the state legislature was beginning its new session, the team delivered a 50-slide presentation to Governor Ned Lamont ’80 and his cabinet. The legislature is developing guidelines for the fast-evolving AI space this year.

Weeks earlier, Lamont had contacted CELI president and founder Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, SOM’s senior associate dean for leadership studies and the Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management, to ask CELI to evaluate the state’s current AI regulation, review legislation in other states, survey global developments, and offer proposals for how Connecticut might position itself.

“The project provided an opportunity to tap student expertise in economics, law, public policy, computer science, engineering, and AI to develop cutting-edge guidelines for this hugely disruptive technology,” Sonnenfeld said. “The recommendations encourage innovative development along with safe, responsible use of these new tools.”

The team’s “core investigators,” Sonnenfeld said, included Gigi Hsu ’26, Delia Reyes ’25, Amy Choi ’25, Tate Lloyd ’25, Ash Duong ’25, and Dan Kent, an MPP student at Yale’s Jackson School of Global Affairs. Members of SOM’s AI Club also took part.

Reyes and Kent are both part of the Jackson School’s Schmidt Program on Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technology, and National Power, an interdisciplinary hub for scholars and practitioners across Yale to address the technological and strategic changes reshaping the world.

Reyes’ role on the team focused on proposing best practices derived from previously submitted legislative bills, as well as reviewing extensive prior research.

“This project was the perfect opportunity to deepen my understanding of the political landscape around AI, which I believe is essential for comprehensive technological governance,” Reyes said. “As a New Haven resident, I was particularly motivated by the chance to contribute meaningfully to a state that has offered me so much.”

Kent focused on evaluating AI policies passed by other states. “Two things struck me most,” he said. “The first was the breadth of laws that have already been passed, and the second was the bipartisan consensus on many AI issues. Despite the different approaches states take, there is universal acknowledgement that this technology is important for every level of government to grapple with.”

Hsu, a data scientist and former consultant for software companies specializing in AI, said the project enabled her to examine the technology’s development through a policy and regulatory lens.

“I became keenly aware of the knowledge gap between policymakers and industry leaders,” Hsu said. “Individuals who can bridge this divide—by understanding both legal frameworks and technical language—are rare. But it’s crucial for industry and government to establish a shared understanding.”

Stephen Henriques ’21, a senior research fellow at CELI, led the student team.

“Leveraging Yale’s unrivaled resources and community of collaboration—from technology leaders and entrepreneurs to cultural historians, organizational behavioralists, economic development specialists, and policy experts—the team provided a comprehensive assessment and balanced set of recommendations,” Henriques said.

The team also consulted 10 Yale professors from various academic disciples and more than 10 industry officials.

“The AI landscape is constantly evolving, and I’m proud that we have a strong partner here in Connecticut, the Yale School of Management, to help us understand its impact in our state and across the nation,” Lamont said. “The insights from Stephen, Jeff, and CELI will ensure we stay ahead of the curve in how we engage with AI.”