More than two dozen lawmakers and governors say they do not use AI while drafting rules

Interviews published Wednesday, Sept. 16, found that more than two dozen lawmakers and governors do not use artificial intelligence. Most said they have never opened a generative tool. Others tried one once or twice, leaving technical tracking entirely to staff. The defense. Pallone's office argued that lawmakers do not need personal experience to write rules. The spokesman said Congress often regulates street drugs like heroin without members using them. The pushback. Tech experts counter that setting standards takes hands-on testing. Without direct use, lawmakers cannot evaluate model weights, compute caps, or false answers. One House Democrat called the gap absurd. Where it stands. Congress has passed no federal safety law for artificial intelligence. Committee bills remain stalled, leaving rules to state laws and executive orders.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), 70, answered “I don’t think I do” when asked whether he uses it; Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), 79, the ranking member on Education and the Workforce, said he uses it every day.