Progressive members of Congress are developing a multi-faceted plan to regulate artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Tech, led publicly by Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas). The proposals emphasize protecting civil liberties as new AI capabilities are deployed.
Casar told Semafor: “The foundational idea here is that you shouldn’t lose your freedoms because of the development of AI.” To that end, his priorities include strengthening data privacy protections and limiting the use of AI for surveillance.
Key policy focuses
- Casar proposes denying renewal of certain warrantless surveillance authorities unless meaningful reforms are enacted, a topic that has previously enabled cooperation between progressives and hardline conservatives.
- He also identified preventing the government from acquiring consumer data as a potential bipartisan issue, arguing policymakers should close the “data broker” loophole that lets governments obtain people’s information through corporations.
Broader proposals and political context
Casar has promoted a wide range of progressive AI ideas in media appearances, from proposals to ban AI superintelligence to levying a tax on the technology to fund job programs that would offset layoffs. While House Democrats are currently in the minority, there is strong appetite within the caucus to move on AI regulation next year if Democrats reclaim the chamber this fall.
Parallel initiatives
Separate but concurrent efforts include a bipartisan draft bill spearheaded by Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Massachusetts) and Rep. Jim Obernolte (R-California), as well as a Democratic-led commission of lawmakers expected to issue its own recommendations.
Local pushback and political implications
Casar interprets local resistance to AI data center construction as “tremors of a bigger political earthquake coming” around advanced technology. He warned that as workers begin to lose jobs to AI-driven changes, opposition to current practices will likely grow among Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters alike.
Conclusion
Progressive lawmakers are pushing a multi-pronged regulatory approach centered on enhancing data privacy and curbing surveillance uses of AI, while seeking areas for bipartisan cooperation with civil-libertarian conservatives. Multiple overlapping legislative and commission efforts in Congress suggest a crowded field of proposals as the debate intensifies.
