The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact: Eric Naing, eric@demandprogress.org

Demand Progress Thanks Senators Who Voted to Reject State AI Regulation Ban

Demand Progress Campaigns Drove 100K+ People to Warn Congress About Reckless AI Policies

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted to strip out a 10-year AI moratorium from the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Demand Progress led a coalition of more than 140 groups asking senators to oppose the AI regulation moratorium, which would have blocked states from enforcing AI laws for a decade. The group also led campaigns that drove more than 100,000 people to warn Congress about reckless AI policies. With Encode and the Technology Oversight Project, Demand Progress also launched a campaign to track votes and activate constituents.

The following is a statement from Emily Peterson-Cassin, corporate power director at Demand Progress:

“For once, the Senate prioritized the American people over the profits of David Sacks, Mark Zuckerberg and other Big Tech billionaires desperate to unleash predatory, half-baked AI on us without any safeguards. It’s hard to believe that we were on the precipice of letting Big Tech wipe out all state and local AI laws for an entire decade, but common sense prevailed. We thank all the senators who voted to kill the noxious ban on protections against AI. We also urge all House members to follow the Senate’s lead and ensure the AI moratorium stays out of the bill.”

Demand Progress amplifies the voice of the people -- and wields it to make government accountable and contest concentrated corporate power. Our mission is to protect the democratic character of the internet -- and wield it to contest concentrated corporate power and hold government accountable.