News: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise told us he doesn’t believe that Congress should pass any AI-related regulations, establishing a new party position on the most important issue in tech policy.
Scalise met with Republicans on the AI task force Thursday. A source in the meeting said House Republicans wouldn’t support legislation that sets up new agencies, establishes new licensing requirements, spends money on research and development or favors one technology over another.
Here’s Scalise in an exclusive interview after the meeting:
Of course, there’s a big split here. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) said at a Punchbowl News event Wednesday that Congress needs to move quickly to create new rules for the road for AI.
Scalise, who is effectively charged with developing policy for House Republicans, told us that he thinks the AI sector is thriving because “the government hasn’t figured out how to slow it down.”
So the takeaway here is that if you are looking for Congress to quickly adopt new legislation to regulate AI, you shouldn’t hold your breath as long as House Republicans are in the majority.
— Jake Sherman
