‘AI accountability agenda’: US senator unveils package of bills to curb tech’s harms | Technology

‘AI accountability agenda’: US senator unveils package of bills to curb tech’s harms | Technology

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/jul/10/us-senator-unveils-ai-accountability-agenda-bills

Publish Date: 2026-07-10 05:00:00

Source Domain: www.theguardian.com

• Concerns About Unregulated AI: US Senator Ed Markey expresses worries about the risks associated with unregulated AI, particularly focusing on datacenter environmental impacts, surveillance, biases in algorithms, worker judgments being overridden by AI, and economic inequality.

• Legislative Efforts: Senator Markey has authored nearly a dozen bills targeting these issues, highlighting the need for rapid federal action to prevent widespread harm.

• New Certification Requirement Bill: He plans to introduce a new bill focused on federal certification for datacenters to ensure they do not harm public interests, including evaluating their environmental and economic impacts.

• AI Accountability Agenda: Markey’s comprehensive agenda aims to “take power back from big tech” through national safeguards, ensuring these measures are not limited by state boundaries.

• Broader Legislation Proposals: Other bills include banning workplace surveillance-driven employment decisions, safeguarding children from online predators, and ensuring transparency in energy and environmental effects of data centers.

• Personal Motivation: Conversations with workers and Markey’s own family experiences with workplace injuries have deeply influenced his legislative efforts.

• Bipartisan Hopes: Despite congressional inertia on AI regulation, Markey remains optimistic that his long-term proposals will gain bipartisan support.

• Current Legislative Movements: While some initiatives, like the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, are gaining traction, others are still working their way through the legislative process.