Who to watch in Congress on AI policy

Fears over artificial intelligence’s rapid development sent Congress into a tailspin this week, as dozens of lawmakers joined the debate on how to regulate the technology.

The frenzy in Washington has included policymakers who have long engaged on the subject and those seizing on the mounting concerns for the first time.

In the wake of dire warnings from AI researchers, lawmakers floated a range of ideas, from new caucuses and bills to classified briefings, while several older proposals got thrown back on the table.

While the prospect of passing AI safety legislation this year is low in Congress, a handful of lawmakers are expected to remain major voices on the issue on Capitol Hill.

Among those to watch are Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.), one of the few lawmakers with a background in technology, holding both a bachelor’s degree in engineering and applied science and a master’s degree in AI.

His background, coupled with his willingness to work with the other side of the aisle and industry, made him a go-to voice on AI in Washington.

Welcome to The Hill’s Technology newsletter , we’re Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

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How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future:

Spanberger announces tightened data center restrictions, clean energy mandates in Virginia

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) on Friday announced a new proposal to tighten restrictions on data center developments in the Old Dominion. The governor’s “Data Center Accountability Framework” outlines several objectives for the commonwealth’s approach to these projects, including cutting down on noise pollution and water use tied to these projects and promoting clean energy and boosting local jobs. Spanberger …

Data centers, drawing concerns over water and power, may have another surprise impact: Forever chemicals

As AI data centers face intense public pushback over issues including their electricity and water use, another potential environmental impact is percolating: the proliferation of forever chemicals. Data centers can use these chemicals in at least two ways: in their cooling processes and through their more general use of semiconductors. Supporters say that their use in cooling can reduce data centers’ significant water use, …

Anthropic: AI model Claude helping build next version of it

Anthropic’s chatbot Claude is leading more than a quarter of the artificial intelligence (AI) firm’s research and development efforts, the company revealed Thursday. The report marks the latest sign of AI’s growing capabilities within the development space itself, building on months of suggestions from researchers that the technology is getting closer to building and self-improving. As of last month, Claude …

Texas agency suspends Flock camera approvals

The Texas Department of Transportation suspended issuing approvals for Flock’s automated license plate readers (ALPR) amid growing security and privacy concerns surrounding the technology. “TxDOT’s role is to review permits to ensure license plate readers are installed correctly and safely along state-owned roadways,” an agency spokesperson told NewsNation in a statement. “TxDOT does not have access to the data collected from …

News we’ve flagged from t he intersection of tech and other topics:

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) issues executive order to rein in AI ‘before it’s too late’ ( CNBC )

CFTC sends crypto rules to White House for review

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has sent cryptocurrency regulations to the White House for review, just days after the Senate failed to advance the Clarity Act.

The proposed rules, labeled “Regulation Crypto Asset Transactions and Regulation Crypto Asset Markets,” were submitted Thursday, according to a dashboard from the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs.

The details of the proposal have yet to made public.

CFTC Chair Michael Selig hinted at plans for new regulations Wednesday.

“ President Trump promised to deliver a future-proof crypto asset regulatory market structure one way or another, and we will help him get the job done using our existing statutory authorities,” he wrote in a post on the social platform X.

“The CFTC is locked in and ready to ship its rules for the new frontier of finance,” Selig added.

Crypto Corner is a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington.

Branch out with other reads on The Hill:

More than 100 Democratic operatives urge party leaders to reject AI cash

More than 170 Democratic organizers and campaign staff members are calling on the party’s leaders to reject campaign donations from the pro-artificial intelligence super PAC Leading the Future (LTF) as the debate over AI safety and regulations intensifies in Washington. The letter, first shared with The Hill on Friday, argues the millions of dollars from AI industry executives is “fundamentally at odds with the …

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