Nancy Pelosi’s replacement is ready to regulate AI

Summary

A new voice for AI regulation in Congress: Scott Wiener, who authored the country's first proposed frontier AI legislation, just won Nancy Pelosi's former congressional seat and is already pushing for federal action — warning that "we could sleepwalk into a disaster. " Recursive self-improvement is keeping him up at night: A recent report suggesting Anthropic may have achieved AI that meaningfully advances itself rattled Wiener, who sees it as proof that Congress is running out of time to act before losing control entirely. He wants regulation with real teeth: Wiener is pushing for a powerful federal AI regulator, whistleblower protections, kill switches, and auditing requirements — and he's firmly against federal laws that would strip states of their own ability to regulate. Cautious optimism, with caveats: Wiener is concerned about Congress's poor track record on tech regulation, wary of Trump's hostility to AI safety concerns, and hoping any crisis that forces action will be, as he puts it, "as small as possible.