The growing prevalence and potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society rises the need for regulation. In return, the shape of regulations will affect the application potential of AI across all economic sectors. This study compares the approaches to regulate AI in the European Union (EU), the United States (US) and China (CN). We then apply the findings of our comparative analysis on the energy sector, assessing the effects of each regulatory approach on the operation of a AI-based short-term electricity demand forecasting application. Our findings show that operationalizing AI applications will face very different challenges across geographies, with important implications for policy making and business development.