The contributions of this article are threefold: 1) we first introduce the AI Pentad to better understand and identify regulatory intervention points within AI’s core components, 2) we present the CHARME$^{2}$D model, a universal framework that can help frame, construct, and evaluate legislative efforts, 3) we conduct a broad assessment of the AI regulatory progress of selected countries and regions against the CHARME$^{2}$D model to highlight strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. This comparative evaluation offers insights for future legislative work in the AI domain.