New House commission to scrutinize AI's impact on the economy
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The House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy will address policy issues like guardrails for AI and its economic, safety and health impacts.
House Democrats on Tuesday announced the formation of a new commission on artificial intelligence that will look at the technology’s impact on the innovation economy.
The House Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy — which will convene throughout 2026 — includes Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., as co-chairs. Reps. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., and Frank Pallone, D-N.J., will serve as ex officio co-chairs, due to their positions as ranking members of the Science, Space and Technology Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee, respectively.
According to a press release, Democrats who previously served on the Bipartisan AI Task Force will hold “key roles,” and the participation of all House Democrats is encouraged.
In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said that the commission will focus on spurring continued innovation in AI domestically while paying attention to the potential harms it can cause.
“The brilliance and ingenuity of the innovation community has positioned America to lead the world in artificial intelligence and pioneer potentially life-changing breakthroughs in medicine and other fields of human endeavor that will benefit humanity,” Jeffries said. “At the same time, Congress must consider what policies are needed to prevent bad actors from exploiting this transformative technology and inflicting harm upon the American people.”
The commission will handle policy areas that aren’t priorities for Republicans, including crafting and establishing guardrails for AI systems and deploying trustworthy AI. Lofgren called Republicans “largely MIA” on AI policies in this Congress.
Some Republican lawmakers have spearheaded efforts to institute a moratorium on state-level AI regulation, which failed to get the votes needed for inclusion in recent legislation. The White House has since telegraphed a desire to take up the issue via executive order.
“The United States can and must continue to lead the world in the development of artificial intelligence,” said Pallone. “Rather than blanket moratoriums, we should be learning from the work of our state and local counterparts to deliver well-considered legislation that provides American businesses and communities the framework and resources to succeed.”