AI regulation is at the centre of a wide-ranging discussion with Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California who sits on several committees with oversight of the technology sector, including panels covering intellectual property, antitrust, privacy and technology. The conversation examined how any element of the tech industry might be regulated at this moment, with Schiff setting out his views on the shape a formal framework could take.
The exchange opened with Schiff addressing what he described as self-dealing and corruption running through American politics. That theme played out against the backdrop of President Donald Trump convening AI chief executives at the White House to sign a nonbinding pact, under which the companies agreed to work towards keeping artificial intelligence safe.
A Formal Framework for AI
Asked whether the voluntary pact went far enough, Schiff addressed how a more formal regulatory structure might look and what could follow if Democrats retake Congress in the midterm elections. He supports the creation of a new agency to oversee artificial intelligence, a proposal that drew attention to a significant legal hurdle. The discussion referenced Chevron deference and the Supreme Court case known as Loper Bright, in which the court overturned a Reagan-era precedent that had instructed judges to defer to expert agencies when legislation was vague.
With that precedent reversed, courts now decide such matters, raising the prospect that any fresh regulation could become tied up in litigation. That shift is directly relevant to the idea of establishing a new body to regulate AI, since new rules could face immediate legal challenge.
Social Media, Free Speech and Oversight
The conversation also compared the approach to regulating AI with the current position on social media, examining the contrasts between the two areas. Schiff was asked whether he would support impeaching the president again in connection with concerns over corruption.
Reflecting on the wider political picture in 2026, Schiff said developments over the past couple of years had been without precedent. He pointed to what he characterised as rampant corruption within the administration, citing campaign advertisements for the president that he said were paid for with taxpayer money. He also referred to the exclusion of press from the White House and Air Force One, and to a triumphal arch that the administration has linked to national security on the grounds that it could be used to store ammunition.
Schiff argued that the country was seeing chaos rather than a focus on the cost of living, saying neither the administration nor his Republican colleagues in Congress were concentrating on improving people’s quality of life, though he expressed hope that this would change. He confirmed he is a United States senator from California.
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Image: theverge.com
