5 key players in Congress on AI policy

Fears over artificial intelligence’s rapid development sent Congress into a tailspin this week, as dozens of lawmakers joined the debate on how to regulate the technology. 

The frenzy in Washington has included policymakers who have long engaged on the subject, but also those seizing on the mounting concerns for the first time. 

In the wake of dire warnings from AI researchers, lawmakers floated around a range of ideas, from new caucuses and bills to classified briefings, while several older proposals got thrown back on the table. 

While the prospect of passing AI safety legislation this year is low in Congress, a handful of lawmakers are expected to remain major voices on the issue on Capitol Hill. 

Here are five key players to watch on AI policy:

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) 

Sanders is one of Congress’s biggest proponents of AI safety in Washington. He was one of the first policymakers to take up the cause of AI skeptics who believe the technology has existential risks to humanity, a concern that’s broken through the typical tech policy circles this month. 

Over the past eight months, the Vermont progressive repeatedly called out AI’s risks to the workforce and its impact on consumer utility prices, along with the billionaire executives at the helm of these companies. He proposed some of the most drastic regulations on the technology, including a ban on the development of superintelligence or a moratorium on the data centers that power AI training and maintenance. 

Most Democrats shied away from fully endorsing Sanders’s approach earlier this year as the party struggled to land on a consensus around the level of regulation for the technology. As Democrats tried to find their footing, Sanders became one of the loudest voices in Washington on the issue. 

Sanders on Tuesday said Congress under both Democratic and Republican control “has been asleep at the wheel” on the issue while the decisions about AI development get made by “a handful of the richest people in the world.” 

While most have not gone as far as Sanders on a solution, the panic following a warning from a former Anthropic researcher, Jacob Coxon, gave the lawmaker new momentum behind his safety approach. 

Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) 

Obernolte is one of the few lawmakers with a background in technology, holding both a bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied science and a master’s degree in AI. 

His background, coupled with his willingness to work with the other side of the aisle and industry, made him a go-to voice on AI in Washington. When Congress was trying to........

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