Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
AI bill negotiations and other tech efforts on privacy and emerging tech are likely to be pared back during the lame duck as lawmakers shift their focus to the next Congress.
Why it matters: Lofty bipartisan ambitions to regulate AI, protect kids online or give all Americans internet privacy rights are all but dead as Washington prepares for sweeping changes post-election.
State of play: There are just 24 legislative days left in Congress this year.
- Republicans, having won the Senate and on track to win the House, don't have a strong incentive to strike deals with Democrats when they can just wait until they have control.
- Democrats' main priority is shaping out to be confirming as many Biden judicial nominees as possible.
- The only driving force for AI action is the must-pass defense policy bill as even appropriations could be kicked down the road through a continuing resolution.
What we're watching: Negotiations between the House and Senate on which AI measures to include in the NDAA are ongoing, a House GOP leadership aide said.
- Top contenders include the bills passed by the House Science Committee in September, such as the CREATE AI Act to authorize the National AI Research Resource.
- A host of China-related measures are also being considered, including a bill requiring the State Department to notify Congress ahead of any science and technology agreements with Beijing, for example.
- Legislation for export controls is also in play.
The House bipartisan AI working group's report is still on track to come out at the end of the year, Rep. Jay Obernolte's spokesperson Connor Chapinski said.
House Science Committee leadership is "extremely eager" to get the National Quantum Initiative Act reauthorized and the votes in the lower chamber are there to get it done, an industry source said.
- But there's a hold up in the Senate Commerce Committee, where industry has not seen any language that could be reconciled with the House's.
Kids online protections and comprehensive privacy face an uphill climb, given House leadership's push back and a tight calendar to reconcile with the Senate.
What we're hearing: "It's going to be a very unproductive lame-duck," another industry source said, predicting a short-term continuing resolution to fund the government while Republicans wait until President-elect Trump takes office to do anything big.
