Think-tank panelists at a Jan. 29 Congressional Internet Caucus Academy event talked about possible avenues for artificial intelligence development and Federal cybersecurity improvements during the 119th Congress.
Evan Swarztrauber, senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation, said Congress needs to manage export controls of AI software to maintain American dominance in the technology. And he said Congress needs to provide the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) with resources to enforce stricter export controls.
“If we’re facing a geopolitical threat with AI, we need to provide Federal agencies the tools to enforce export controls that we have on the books,” Swarztrauber said.
Swarztrauber continued, saying energy production also needs to increase to ensure American competitiveness in AI, which relies in part on ever-growing server farms that require more electricity to run than more traditional tech facilities. He said investing in nuclear and geothermal energy will be essential to power more domestic AI infrastructure and use.
Sara Collins, director of government affairs at Public Knowledge, agreed with Swarztrauber but also said she is concerned about some aspects of maintaining a “robust” AI infrastructure.
“What I don’t want to see is, in the name of competing against China, we entrench OpenAI and Google as our AI providers for life,” Collins said, drawing agreement among the panel.
“If you are a company that is asking the U.S. government to help you win that competition, then you need to be taking steps internally to not help our adversaries,” Swarztrauber said.
The panelists also emphasized the need for Congress to take a lead role in getting Federal agencies to modernize their software systems.
“Congress can really force the Federal apparatus to modernize in a way that helps to protect our most important infrastructure,” Swarztrauber explained.
Amy Bos, director of state and federal affairs at NetChoice, said she believes the government needs to diversify its sources of technology. She referred to the Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets (SAMOSA) Act which was most recently passed by the House in 2024.
“Congress needs to take a closer look at the procurement process… [SAMOSA] would require that. I think that’s a great first step,” Bos said.
The panel also discussed AI’s impact on private sector work and agreed Congress could play a role in improving adaptability to new technologies.
“Whether it’s workforce development programs, retraining programs, I think that’s where you’re going to see Congress stepping in,” Bos explained. “They don’t work to slow down this technology, but they want to make sure the workforce is prepared for that,” she added.
