Democrats think cracking down on AI could give them an edge

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At a moment when voters are fearful of AI, Democrats are finding their footing.

Democrats could win back control of Congress this November, and if they do, they’ll need to decide how to approach one of the country’s newest and thorniest political issues: AI.

Polls predict Democrats will flip at least one chamber of Congress in the midterm elections, which would put committee leadership back in their hands. That could usher in a wave of newfound scrutiny for AI companies. Top Democrats on key committees have already signaled their willingness to press the industry on tax credits tied to data centers and recent hacking incidents, and would be able to set committee agendas if they take over, allowing them to call CEOs to testify in Congress and demand documents that explain companies’ inner workings.

AI issues are already taking a leading role in campaign ads, particularly as data center development has driven residents across the political spectrum to packed local meetings. While President Donald Trump has opposed most regulation of the technology in favor of an accelerationist approach, public opinion polling has shown that Americans have widespread concerns about how AI will impact jobs, education, and other aspects of life.

The direction and intensity of that oversight, though, is up for grabs.

The issue of AI is “a hundred percent ready for the taking,” says Jesse Lehrich, a Democratic strategist who previously ran a tech accountability advocacy group and worked for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. “The question remains open as to whether Democrats are willing and able to seize that opportunity.” AI issues currently include a lot of different things, from monitoring and restricting the development of frontier models to dealing with the effects of job displacement or data centers’ energy demands.