A question as old as democracy itself is being asked again, this time about artificial intelligence: who decides the rules when those in power choose not to? Across the United States and beyond, an unlikely coalition of technologists, civil society groups, researchers, and international bodies has begun constructing frameworks for AI governance — not because Washington invited them to, but because Washington has largely looked away. The Trump administration and Congress have not made AI regulation a priority, leaving a growing and consequential vacuum that others are rushing to fill, with unce
AI regulation finds unexpected backers as Trump, Congress remain absent
The people most affected have little say in how the technology shapes their lives
Mark
So if Trump and Congress aren't engaged, who exactly is pushing for AI regulation?
Mimi
It's a mix. You've got tech companies themselves—some of the big ones—civil society groups, researchers, and international bodies. The EU has already passed comprehensive legislation.
Luke
But how much of that tech company support is genuine versus PR? Are they actually accepting constraints, or just positioning themselves as the reasonable actors?
Mimi
That's the real question. Some seem sincere about wanting rules. Others may be trying to shape regulation in their favor before it gets imposed on them.
Mark
Why would Congress ignore this? AI seems like it should be a priority.
Mimi
It's not clear. Could be inattention, could be that they're waiting to see what happens internationally, could be that the tech lobby is still powerful enough to slow things down.
Luke
And we don't actually know what the Trump administration's position is, right? The reporting says they haven't prioritized it, but that's not the same as saying they've decided against regulation.
Mimi
Right. Absence of action isn't the same as a stated policy.
Mark
So what's the risk if this keeps going the way it is?
Mimi
AI gets governed by whoever moves fastest—companies, the EU, civil society groups—but not by the people most affected by it, and not through any democratic process.
Luke
Though you could argue that's already happening. The technology is already deployed. We're not starting from zero.
Le Pouls
- AI systems are growing more powerful and more embedded in daily life every month, yet the federal government has produced no meaningful regulatory framework to match the pace of deployment.
- The silence from Washington is not neutral — it effectively hands the shaping of AI governance to corporations, foreign governments, and civil society actors who lack the democratic mandate or enforcement power of law.
- An unexpected coalition of industry insiders, academics, and advocacy groups is pushing for guardrails, driven by fears ranging from economic displacement and algorithmic bias to unchecked corporate concentration of power.
- The European Union has already enacted comprehensive AI legislation, meaning American companies may face stricter rules abroad than at home, and global standards could be written without U.S. leadership.
- The central unresolved tension is whether voluntary frameworks built outside government can actually constrain corporate behavior — or whether they will remain well-intentioned but toothless.
A question as old as democracy itself is being asked again, this time about artificial intelligence: who decides the rules when those in power choose not to? Across the United States and beyond, an unlikely coalition of technologists, civil society groups, researchers, and international bodies has begun constructing frameworks for AI governance — not because Washington invited them to, but because Washington has largely looked away. The Trump administration and Congress have not made AI regulation a priority, leaving a growing and consequential vacuum that others are rushing to fill, with uncertain authority but genuine urgency.
The debate over how to govern artificial intelligence is unfolding almost everywhere except the halls of power in Washington. While the Trump administration and Congress have shown little urgency on the question, an unusual and growing coalition — tech industry insiders, civil society organizations, academic researchers, and international bodies — has begun building frameworks for managing AI's risks on its own.
What makes this moment striking is the reversal it represents. For years, the technology sector resisted regulation instinctively. Now some of its most knowledgeable voices are actively requesting it, arguing that clear rules today are far preferable to crisis management after something goes wrong. Their concerns are varied: AI's effects on employment, its capacity to amplify bias and misinformation, its potential for mass surveillance, and the concentration of enormous power in a handful of large companies.
The absence of federal action creates a genuine problem of legitimacy. Frameworks developed outside government may lack the force of law, the resources to enforce compliance, or the democratic grounding that comes from elected representatives making deliberate choices. Whether Washington's silence reflects a principled preference for market self-regulation or simple inattention, the practical effect is the same: the people most shaped by AI — workers, consumers, citizens — have little formal voice in how it develops.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world is not waiting. The European Union has passed comprehensive AI legislation, and other nations are following. The global standard for AI governance may ultimately be set far from American shores, leaving U.S. companies navigating stricter rules abroad than at home.
How this resolves depends on whether outside momentum can eventually compel Washington to act — and whether the frameworks now being built without government backing can do anything more than advise. The window for deliberate, democratic governance of this technology is open, but it will not stay that way indefinitely.
The conversation about how to govern artificial intelligence is happening everywhere except where you might expect it. While the Trump administration and Congress remain largely silent on the question of AI regulation, an unusual coalition of voices has begun pushing for guardrails on the technology—and they're coming from places the political establishment didn't anticipate.
The momentum is real, even if it's not coming from Washington. Tech companies themselves, civil society organizations, academic researchers, and international bodies have started moving forward with frameworks and proposals for managing AI's risks and capabilities. Some of the most vocal advocates for regulation are people who work inside the industry, who understand the technology's potential to cause harm and believe that rules now are preferable to crisis management later. This represents a genuine shift: for years, the tech sector fought regulation tooth and nail. Now parts of it are asking for it.
What's striking is the absence. The Trump administration has not made AI regulation a priority. Congressional leadership has not moved legislation forward with any urgency. The political energy that might be expected to drive this conversation—the committees, the hearings, the competing bills—simply isn't there. This leaves a vacuum that others are filling, but it also means that whatever frameworks emerge may lack the force of law, the resources of government, or the legitimacy that comes from democratic process.
The advocates pushing for AI regulation are diverse in their motivations. Some worry about AI's impact on employment and economic inequality. Others focus on the technology's potential to amplify bias, spread misinformation, or enable surveillance at scale. Still others are concerned about the concentration of power in the hands of a few large companies that control the most advanced AI systems. What unites them is a belief that the current trajectory—rapid deployment with minimal oversight—is unsustainable.
International efforts have moved faster than anything happening in the U.S. The European Union has already passed comprehensive AI legislation. Other countries are following suit. This creates a peculiar situation where American companies may find themselves subject to stricter rules abroad than at home, and where the global standard for AI governance may be set by places other than the United States.
The disconnect between the grassroots push for regulation and the silence from Washington raises a fundamental question about how technology gets governed in a democracy. When Congress doesn't act and the executive branch doesn't prioritize an issue, does that represent a deliberate choice to let markets self-regulate, or is it simply inattention? Either way, the result is the same: the people most affected by AI—workers, consumers, citizens—have little say in how the technology that shapes their lives gets developed and deployed.
What happens next depends partly on whether this momentum from unexpected quarters can build enough pressure to force Washington's hand. It also depends on whether the frameworks being developed outside government can actually constrain corporate behavior, or whether they'll remain advisory and toothless. The stakes are high, and the clock is running. AI systems are becoming more powerful and more integrated into critical systems every month. The longer Washington stays absent, the more the shape of AI governance gets determined by everyone else.
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Politics & Governance