Why Washington is hamstrung on protecting workers from AI

Voters are anxious about the economic impact of AI. Congress hasn’t done anything about it.

Francis Chung/POLITICO

President Donald Trump’s steadfast support for artificial intelligence is butting up against rising voter fears that the technology will take their jobs amid a weakening labor market and constant headlines about AI-related layoffs in Silicon Valley.

Few technological innovations in recent years have had such a large potential impact on the economy, and few have been so hotly debated. But despite a flurry of hearings, letters and bill introductions, Congress has largely skirted the issue even though many proposals have bipartisan support.

“We haven’t done anything,” said Sen. Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican and one of the GOP’s most vocal advocates of AI regulation. “The public will pretty soon demand it.”

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