Democratic and Republican representatives are collaborating to establish regulations targeting unregulated technological advancements, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI). A new initiative called Public First aims to create necessary safeguards for AI technologies, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Chris Stewart, a Republican, and Brad Carson, a Democrat, will co-lead Public First, which seeks to develop protective measures around AI. Carson emphasized the initiative’s inclusive nature, stating, “This issue is one that transcends party labels.” Both parties have increasingly recognized the urgency of addressing concerns surrounding AI.
State governments are also taking action. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a bill mandating that major AI companies publish and adhere to safety policies. A similar piece of legislation has been enacted in New York, while in Republican-leaning states such as Florida, GOP lawmakers are exploring their own regulatory options.
In addition, a separate organization called Leading the Future has been established to influence innovation policy. The group plans to use $100 million in donations to reshape the political landscape regarding technology regulation. The venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has committed $25 million for 2025 and will provide the same amount in the following year.
Tech industry leader Greg Brockman, co-founder of OpenAI, is involved with Leading the Future. He advocates for an “AI centrism” approach that emphasizes thoughtful regulation to unlock AI’s potential. Brockman and his wife, Anna Brockman, expressed their belief in this philosophy, stating, “We believe in AI centrism, which supports thoughtful regulation toward the goal of unlocking AI’s potential to improve quality of life for every person (and every animal).” They argue that developers and open-source models should face minimal additional regulatory burdens.
Despite these bipartisan efforts, broader regulatory policies encompassing AI and healthcare faced setbacks just days ago. The Trump administration deferred sweeping proposals regarding health care subsidies and state AI regulations amid ongoing divisions within the Republican Party. According to Burgess Everett and Eleanor Mueller of Semafor, the administration’s plans to extend expiring health care subsidies and ban state-level AI regulations were leaked, leaving both proposals uncertain.
The most pressing issue is the expiration of enhanced subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, which has been a point of contention among Republicans but tends to unify Democrats. Although details of a Trump-supported proposal to extend these subsidies emerged over the weekend, subsequent days passed without any formal announcement.
As the discussions surrounding AI regulation unfold, the bipartisan coalition led by Public First represents a significant step in addressing the challenges posed by unregulated technological growth. With both state and federal actors engaged, the future of AI policy in the United States appears to be on the brink of substantial change.
