Congress has introduced numerous bills to regulate artificial intelligence over the past two years, yet lawmakers have enacted virtually none. Democrats and Republicans have proposed measures to slow AI development for safety, limit access for national security, and address automation's economic impact. However, partisan divisions and tech industry lobbying have stalled progress.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) noted "there is essentially zero federal laws on AI." President Trump has opposed regulation, calling AI harm a "hoax," making Republican action unlikely. The most pressing debate involves federal review of cutting-edge AI models before public release.

Trump's June executive order created a voluntary review framework, but lawmakers seek mandatory oversight. The bipartisan Frontier Act, introduced by Reps. Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Lori Trahan (D-MA) in July, would require large AI companies to publish safety reports and undergo independent audits, with the Commerce Department able to suspend risky technologies.

In exchange, it would preempt state regulations — a contentious provision. Similar bills from Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Josh Hawley, and Rep.

Don Beyer, remain stalled. Meanwhile, executives at Anthropic and OpenAI warn of civilization-level risks from unchecked AI, urging a global development slowdown.