Democrats intend to introduce a series of regulations targeting artificial intelligence (AI) systems and data center development. A radical shift in approach is planned compared with the period when Republicans controlled Congress.
The latter have focused on promoting AI development and have refused to pass laws aimed at restricting certain aspects of the technology, despite voters’ skepticism about the rapid expansion of data centers and their enormous energy consumption.
Democrats want to draft legislation to protect consumers from rising electricity costs driven by data center operations, require independent testing of advanced AI systems, and clarify when companies in the sector can be held liable for harm caused by their products.
However, any legislative initiative of this kind could face major obstacles as long as Republican President Donald Trump remains in the White House and can exercise his veto power, hotnews.ro reports. The current US president has repeatedly rejected efforts to introduce binding regulations on AI.
Overriding a presidential veto of a bill requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress—a majority the Democrats do not have.
Nevertheless, some Democratic lawmakers and activists say that taking control of congressional committees will give the Democratic Party a platform to advance various proposals, summon industry executives to testify, and rally support for concrete measures.