Democratic Party's AI Regulation Push Revealed: Plans for Intensive Legislation and Strict Scrutiny of Tech Giants

On November 6, the Democratic Party in the United States plans to intensively promote AI regulatory legislation after taking control of Congress in January next year, and to expand investigations into large tech companies. Proposed legislation focuses on limiting the expansion of data centers that drive up electricity prices for residents, requiring independent agencies to test advanced AI models, and clarifying the legal responsibilities of AI companies for damages caused by their products.

Senate Majority Leader nominee Chuck Schumer stated that protecting consumers from rising electricity prices due to data center expansion will be one of the priorities for next year. Representative Lori Trahan plans to push for independent expert evaluations of mainstream AI models and to clarify corporate responsibilities. In terms of oversight, Democratic lawmakers like Zoe Lofgren have already requested disclosures of safety measures and reports on AI tools deviating from designers' intentions as of October.

Reports also indicate that senior officials are reviewing an 181-page investigation checklist compiled by think tanks, involving hundreds of corporate executives and companies in industries such as technology, AI, natural gas, healthcare, private prisons, and nursing homes. Democratic members of the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees have reviewed the document. The proposal advocates for hearings on the cost of living, requiring corporate executives to explain consumer costs, pricing behaviors, and business models, rather than just focusing on personal controversies surrounding Trump.

However, related legislation still faces resistance from the White House. Trump has repeatedly opposed mandatory rules for AI and reiterated on Friday that he "100% supports superintelligence (SI)." The Democrats can leverage their committee control to push proposals and require executives to attend hearings, but overturning a presidential veto requires a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress. Ed Mills, the policy research director at Raymond James, believes the likelihood of AI legislation passing is higher than the market expects, and the Democrats may also attempt to incorporate regulatory provisions into routine bills that must be passed annually.

There are still divisions within the Democratic Party regarding the scope of the investigation, and it remains uncertain whether the aforementioned corporate investigation plan will be fully adopted. Some moderates are concerned that overemphasizing corporate responsibility may lead to a policy path criticized as "anti-business," advocating for narrowing the investigation targets and concentrating resources to avoid excessive topics.

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