Texas politicians pitch different plans for AI regulation

Ah, Congress — never one to let an actual crisis go to waste, Texas politicians have offered the nation two exquisite flavours of AI regulation: the AI Tax and Work Protection Act and the AI Kill Switch Act. The first, courtesy of Casar, would tax certain uses of large AI models to fund job creation and support workers automation has just fired. The second would oblige large AI companies to maintain the ability to press the off button during "serious safety incidents."

The beauty is in the details nobody has bothered to define: what counts as a "certain use," who decides an incident is "serious" enough to justify the kill switch, and whether the tax will be set by the same Congress that struggles to pass a budget. The two proposals are supposedly from both sides of the aisle, which means they will spend the next two years cancelling each other out while the models improve at their own pace. Meanwhile, the companies being regulated have actually welcomed the conversation, because anything that delays binding rules is effectively a subsidy.

One must hand it to them, though: the Kill Switch Act is a genuinely lovely piece of theatre. We imagine a room full of engineers, a blinking red button, and a legal disclaimer saying pressing it may void the warranty. And the AI Tax — the old humane solution, squeezing the machines for cash to pay off the humans they replace. The only missing elements are a Congress that can pass either proposal, a president who would sign one, and a tech industry that hasn't already spent its lobbying budget on weaker alternatives. But do not worry; like every other worthwhile idea, it will be studied, sent to committee, and filed neatly beside the last fourteen attempts.