Summary:
Le leader républicain au Sénat, John Thune, soutient une pause sur les régulations étatiques de l’IA, insistant sur l’importance de ne pas entraver l’innovation. Alors que les États avancent sur des mesures de protection de l’IA, le Congrès reste en retard. Thune prône un encadrement léger pour favoriser le leadership dans les nouvelles technologies, tout en reconnaissant que des ajustements seront nécessaires à l’avenir. Cette approche suscite cependant des débats internes au sein du parti.
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune expects some form of a freeze on state AI regulations to remain a part of the “big, beautiful bill,” even as his Republicans continue to debate the decision.
**Why it matters:** States are currently leading the way in passing and implementing AI guardrails, while Congress lags behind. Consumers have expressed a desire for regulation.
– The moratorium has been criticized, but Thune’s (R-S.D.) support aligns with the top priority among many Republicans in Washington: not hindering innovation.
**The big picture:** “We want to be the leaders in AI and quantum and all these new technologies. And the way to do that is not to come in with a heavy hand of government, it’s to come in with a light touch,” Thune said.
– Thune, formerly the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, is familiar with this space.
– The “big, beautiful bill” ties broadband grants to states refraining from pursuing AI regulations for the next 10 years.
– Thune noted that while the provision might change based on feedback, he expects some version of it to remain in the bill.
**Zoom in:** When asked how Congress could predict effective AI policies for 10 years into the future, Thune admitted, “I don’t think you can.”
– “I think this is the kind of thing where you can put some basic sort of parameters in place, but you’re going to have to come along and be able to tweak those in the future, too,” he said.
– On whether the moratorium might tie states’ hands for the next decade, Thune acknowledged, “That’s the question I think everybody’s trying to answer.”
– The current draft could halt numerous state-level AI-related bills, such as those addressing deceptive election materials and autonomous vehicles.
**Behind the scenes:** Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had a heated debate during a closed-door meeting Monday night over the provision.
– Cruz defended the inclusion of the provision, stating, “The provision is in the bill, and it’s going to remain in the bill.”
– The policy underwent a rebranding as a “temporary pause” instead of a moratorium and received approval from the Senate parliamentarian after minor adjustments, but it still faces significant opposition.
– Critics range from populist Republican leaders like Steve Bannon to civil-rights advocates.
**Friction point:** Cruz, chair of the Commerce Committee which has jurisdiction over AI issues, remains focused on a light-touch approach to AI regulation.
– Sen. Mike Rounds noted that while states struggle to legislate on AI due to congressional delays, long-term AI development will require consistent federal policy.
**What to watch:** Thune has collaborated in the past with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on bipartisan AI legislation and hopes Congress will legislate on AI in the future.
– “I think there are enough equities that both sides have in this,” Thune noted.
Contributors to this story include Maria Curi.