Scott Wiener, who recently won the San Francisco congressional seat formerly held by Nancy Pelosi, is preparing to play a central role in federal artificial intelligence policy. He expressed deep concern over "recursive self-improvement," warning that AI contributing to its own advancement could lead to a total loss of control. Wiener hopes for decisive action from Congress soon, noting that the window to regulate this rapidly moving technology is closing.
Facing criticism after his campaign received over 3 million dollars from Public First Action, a pro-regulation nonprofit funded by Anthropic, Wiener dismisses claims of industry coziness. He highlights his record as the first lawmaker to introduce and pass AI regulation over the direct objections of major tech companies.
For federal legislation, Wiener advocates creating a strong, empowered regulator. He emphasizes the necessity of whistle-blower protections, testing requirements, and a kill switch for advanced systems. Drawing on his state legislative experience, he strongly opposes broad federal preemption that would strip states of their ability to act as policy laboratories.
Wiener remains cautiously optimistic about the ability of Congress to act, though he holds reservations about the next administration. He points out that Donald Trump’s characterization of catastrophic AI risks as a hoax, combined with a reluctance to collaborate with China, could hinder efforts to prevent potential disasters.