Senator Schiff: AI Rules Needed Before It's Too Late

Senator Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, is pushing for new laws to regulate artificial intelligence. He says Congress missed its chance with social media, and now AI is moving too fast to ignore. At a recent White House event, tech CEOs signed a non-binding promise to keep AI safe. Schiff calls that "jarring" because the same companies privately admit they need real rules—not just voluntary pledges. Without enforcement, he warns, AI could take jobs, spread lies, and spy on you without consequences.

Schiff supports creating a new government agency to oversee AI, but he points to a major roadblock: a recent Supreme Court decision called Loper Bright. That ruling ended "Chevron deference," which used to let experts at agencies interpret vague laws. Now courts decide, so any new AI rule could get stuck in lawsuits for years. Schiff says this makes it even more important for Congress to write clear, specific laws that can survive legal challenges.

He also criticizes the Trump administration for using "national security" as a blanket excuse to avoid oversight. The voluntary AI pledge, he notes, had no such security justification—yet it still wasn't binding. Schiff says that shows the administration is more interested in protecting tech donors than protecting the public. He wants Democrats to make AI regulation a top priority if they win back Congress in the midterms.

For everyday people, the stakes are personal: AI already influences what you see online, what jobs are available, and how your data is used. Schiff's message is simple—without real rules, you're trusting companies to police themselves. And history shows that rarely works out for consumers.