Exclusive: Sen. Hawley says Congress needs to focus on AI's impact on working class

• Speaking Wednesday at Axios News Shapers' event, Hawley pointed to senators voting 99-1 against the proposed 10-year moratorium on state-driven AI regulation in the "big, beautiful bill" as proof that they know the stakes of AI's potential for harm.
• "If the Republican Party wants to be a party of working people, I think we better start thinking about how AI is going to affect working folks," Hawley told Axios' Stef Kight.

Driving the news: "We've got to ask a basic question, do we want AI to work for people, or do we want people to work for AI?" Hawley said. "And I want it to be the first that AI is in service to the American people."

• "We are looking at, potentially, with this AI revolution that's being forecast, a huge loss of jobs for working people – entry-level, white collar jobs," he said.
• When asked about how America's AI industry could continue to grow and compete on the world stage, Hawley said that AI companies could be a source for good that helps power American innovation, but that they are currently moving with a "smash and grab mentality."
• "If we can get AI to make workers more productive, fantastic," Hawley said. "But I'm worried that's not the trend line that we're on."

Catch up quick: Hawley and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) introduced a bill on Monday that would bar AI companies from training their models on pirated personal data.

• The bill would also allow people to sue tech companies for pirating their data without their consent, and require companies to disclose what data third parties will be given access to if consent is given.

Go deeper: Behind the Curtain: A white-collar bloodbath

Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.