U.S. News: Democrats Unveil AI Oversight Proposals --- Potential cyberattack risk and backlash against data centers worry lawmakers

“WASHINGTON -- A top Senate Democrat is introducing a bill that would restrict how the Pentagon uses artificial intelligence, adding to a flood of AI proposals that offer a preview of the oversight tech companies can expect if Democrats win back control of Congress.

 

Sen. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.) is proposing a bill that would ensure a human is involved when the Pentagon uses AI in weapons and protects against the technology's use for domestic surveillance.

 

The bill expands on existing Defense Department protocols.

 

The proposal follows bills put forward by Sens. Mark Kelly (D., Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D., N.Y.) and Elissa Slotkin (D., Mich.). Many were spurred by AI developer Anthropic's spat with the Pentagon, which raised questions about the Defense Department's guardrails for keeping a human involved when AI is used.

 

Lawmakers said the bills come in response to the introduction of powerful models capable of carrying out cyberattacks, a backlash against data centers that power models and challenges for recent college graduates finding jobs.

 

"We're no longer anticipating these impacts. They're here," Schiff said in an interview. He said, "AI could very well be the dominant issue in the next presidential election."

 

A past leader of the House Intelligence Committee when he was a representative, Schiff is pushing to have the new bill considered as part of the annual military-spending package.

 

He has also proposed legislation to make tech companies pay for the electricity needed to run data centers and disclose the copyrighted work used to train their models.

 

The ideas from Democrats coincide with calls from consumers and security experts for AI regulation. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, recently called for a government-investment fund to take 50% stakes in AI companies.

 

He met with OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman last week and has proposed a federal ban on new data centers, which have fueled anger because of fears about higher power prices and water usage.

 

OpenAI recently said a government investment fund that owns shares of AI companies might be appropriate. President Trump is now considering proposals for the government to hold shares of AI developers.

 

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) and others are calling for new taxes on AI companies. Moderate Democrats have focused on increasing oversight of models and helping workers adapt to the technology.

 

"It feels like we are hitting a cultural tipping point," said Mallory McMorrow, a Democratic Senate candidate in Michigan who has proposed a tax on companies using AI. She said she gets at least one AI question at nearly every event she attends.

 

Anthropic's standoff with the Pentagon spurred action from many Democrats because the company, which is known for favoring stronger regulations, wanted the Pentagon to promise not to use its Claude models for domestic surveillance or autonomous weapons. Defense Department officials said the request was unreasonable because their existing practices prohibit using AI for those purposes.

 

Schiff's bill would mandate a human has full discretion over weapons using AI and increase transparency and review requirements for the Pentagon. It would ban the use of the technology in certain cases including some scenarios involving nuclear weapons.

 

While the administration is unlikely to support many of the Democratic proposals, the White House has taken steps to increase oversight, including an executive order signed last week. Many tech executives say they are bracing for a Democratic-led Congress and calls for more regulation. OpenAI last week called for model oversight that goes beyond Trump's executive order.” [1]

 

1. U.S. News: Democrats Unveil AI Oversight Proposals --- Potential cyberattack risk and backlash against data centers worry lawmakers. Ramkumar, Amrith.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 09 June 2026: A4.