After taking control of Congress in January, the U.S. Democratic Party plans to push for AI regulatory legislation, focusing on limiting the impact of data center expansion on electricity prices, requiring independent agencies to test AI models, and clarifying the legal responsibilities of AI companies.
Senate Majority Leader Schumer has prioritized protecting consumers from rising electricity prices. Representative Lori Trahan plans to push for independent evaluations of AI models. Lawmakers including Zoe Lofgren have demanded that OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, Alphabet, and SpaceX disclose their safety measures. Top Democrats are reviewing a list of investigations compiled by the think tank Groundwork Collaborative, involving executives from multiple industries.
US President Trump opposes mandatory rules for AI and reiterated his support for superintelligence (SI). Democrats can push for legislation through committee control, but overturning a presidential veto requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress. Ed Mills, director of policy research at Raymond James, believes the likelihood of AI legislation passing is higher than market expectations. Disagreements remain within the Democratic Party regarding the scope of the investigation.
