Negotiators aiming to unveil draft of bipartisan House AI bill by week’s end

Ah, Congress is at it again. Rep. Jay Obernolte is 'aiming to unveil' a 'long-awaited discussion draft' of a bipartisan AI bill 'by week's end.' Notice the 'aiming' — because in Washington, a deadline is a suggestion, and 'discussion draft' means we've sketched something on a napkin and want a few more months to argue over commas. The bill would impose a 'federal regulatory framework' on AI, which is wonderful news if you believe that a government that couldn't pass a budget on time will deftly regulate the most transformative technology since fire.

But let's give credit where it's due: they've managed to agree on the word 'bipartisan.' That's one syllable, two parties, zero substance. The bill's draft might actually contain some oversight tooth, but given that Congress is still trying to understand what 'generative pre-trained transformer' means, I'm not holding my breath. Remember the 'bipartisan' privacy bill that never happened? The 'bipartisan' social media reform that collapsed? This will likely join the pantheon of noble efforts that die in committee.

Still, we should be grateful. A discussion draft is better than no draft — barely. If Obernolte & Co. actually release something, reporters can analyse it, lobbyists can carve out exemptions, and the rest of us can wait for the next election cycle to restart the conversation. In the meantime, AI companies will continue to train on all our data without federal oversight. But hey, the 'discussion' has started. That counts for something, right? Right?