Democrats are planning to introduce a wave of new legislation targeting artificial intelligence systems and data-center development when they take control of the U.S. Congress in January, lawmakers, congressional aides and advocates said.
The plans would mark a sharp shift from the Republican-led Congress, where lawmakers largely focused on promoting AI development and declined to pass legislation restricting aspects of the technology — at a time when voters have turned against the rapid development of data centers and their extensive energy requirements.
Democrats plan to introduce bills aimed at shielding consumers from rising electricity costs linked to data centers, requiring independent testing of advanced AI systems, and clarifying when AI companies can be held liable for harm caused by their products, the lawmakers and aides said.
Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democrat who is expected to become majority leader, said on Thursday at an event in Washington that protecting consumers from higher energy costs linked to the rapid expansion of data centers would be among his priorities next year.
Representative Lori Trahan of Massachusetts, one of the Democratic Party's leading voices on AI policy, plans to push legislation requiring independent experts to evaluate leading AI models against safety standards, her deputy chief of staff said. Representative Zoe Lofgren of California, who is seeking to chair the House Science Committee, said Democrats would focus on developing AI safeguards, while Representative Greg Casar of Texas, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, is among the lawmakers driving the push.
Any legislation would face significant hurdles while Republican President Donald Trump remains in the White House, as he has repeatedly dismissed calls to introduce mandatory rules for AI technology. No bill count, vote schedule or final text has been reported yet, and the plans remain a statement of intent as the new Congress prepares to take office.
