Connecticut CART Act: Most Comprehensive US State AI Statute — First Provisions Effective October 1, 2026

Connecticut's AI Responsibility and Transparency Act (CART Act, Public Act 26-15, signed June 2, 2026) entered its compliance window this week, with most obligations effective October 1, 2026. The statute covers: employment-related automated decision technology (AEDT) — employers using AI in hiring or employment decisions must provide written notice of the system's purpose, data categories, and sources (effective October 1, 2027); AI companions and frontier models; generative content provenance; platforms used by minors. A separate Connecticut Data Privacy Act amendment (effective July 1, 2026) added a profiling impact assessment requirement for automated decision-making over consumer personal data — with the new duty attaching from August 1, 2026. The anti-delegation principle is operative from October 1, 2026: employers cannot avoid discrimination liability by attributing a decision to an AI system. DraftWise noted that malpractice insurers are tracking the CART Act as the most consequential US state AI statute to date. Law firms serving Connecticut clients, Connecticut-domiciled employers, and any firm using AI in recruitment or HR processes should be mapping CART Act obligations against their current AI stack and employment systems this quarter.