Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed Senate Bill 5 into law in June 2026, enacted as Public Act 26-15 and designated the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act (CART Act). The statute is in force with a phased implementation timeline. The automated employment decision tool (AEDT) provisions take effect on 1 October 2026. The CART Act also covers consumer-facing AI companion chatbots, frontier model developers, and online platforms used by minors.
The CART Act defines automated employment-related decision technology (AEDT) as any computational process using machine learning, statistical modeling, data analytics, or artificial intelligence to assist or replace discretionary employment decisions. Effective 1 October 2026, employers must disclose the use of an AEDT to any employee or applicant when that tool's output is a substantial factor in an employment-related decision. Connecticut General Statutes are amended to prohibit treating use of an AEDT as a defense to employment discrimination claims. Employers must also disclose in mass-layoff notices whether an automated tool contributed to the reduction decision.
Connecticut employers, staffing agencies, applicant tracking system vendors, and HR technology providers must audit current AEDT deployments and build compliant disclosure workflows before 1 October 2026. AI product vendors selling AEDT tools to Connecticut employer clients bear separate compliance obligations, requiring coordination with enterprise buyers on disclosure infrastructure. Employers planning workforce reductions informed by AI-driven analytics must include new statutory disclosures in any mass-layoff notice.
The CART Act regulates consumer-facing AI companion chatbots and generative AI content provenance under different effective dates from the 1 October 2026 AEDT provisions. Frontier model developers above defined compute thresholds face separate reporting obligations. The Connecticut Attorney General will issue further guidance on AEDT scope, disclosure format, and safe harbor conditions ahead of the October 1 implementation date.
Licentium advises technology companies, employers, and AI product vendors on state and national AI regulatory compliance in the United States and under the EU AI Act. We maintain a partner network of US employment and technology law specialists across key jurisdictions. To discuss how the CART Act affects your product roadmap or workforce operations, contact us. Work we undertake includes AI regulatory compliance gap analysis, automated decision tool auditing, AI governance policy drafting, and multi-state AI law compliance strategy.