The next Congress will write rules for AI and emerging tech. They should use the stuff first.

The next Congress will write rules for AI and emerging tech. They should use the stuff first.

The best thing industry leaders can do is to invest the time to ensure this country’s policymakers can experience the technology they’re regulating up close, writes Allie Page, executive director of American Innovation Project.

This election has made clear that emerging technologies like artificial intelligence or Super intelligence (AI/SI) are going to be regulated imminently. Concern about data centers, AI, and new technologies surfaced in campaigns across the country, and in January 2027, the 120th Congress will decide how to tackle the challenge of regulating these complex, fast-evolving technologies.

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Whether that happens, though, is a policy outcome, one that depends on policymakers who understand what they are regulating. The gap between how fast the technology moves and how well Washington understands the technology is the difference between leading internationally and lagging behind international competitors, like China. Closing that education gap starts with a simple principle: the people writing the rules should have hands-on experience with the technologies that they are regulating.

It’s easier to be hands-on with some technologies over others. For example: Congressional leaders can experiment with some technologies from their own devices, like sending a stablecoin from a centralized crypto exchange, asking an AI chatbot a question about their district, or viewing results of a prediction market. Meanwhile, other tech can be more complex, and it is often helpful to get a demo or hear from the software developers or builders directly about how the technology functions and/or why it was developed (e.g., the difference between centralized finance and decentralized finance, open versus closed source AI, or how national security innovation works). It is unquestionably useful for a Member to interact directly with someone who uses the technology every day, so they can ask questions in real-time and share any worries they have. In every case of hands-on experience, a Member leaves with a better understanding and the ability to ask sharper, more thoughtful questions, grounded in their own experience rather than second-hand explanations.

The new class of Congressional leaders arrives in Washington DC in January 2027 with a clear expectation from their constituents to make things in America work better, and most of them have not yet formalized their views on AI, crypto, prediction markets, or the infrastructure underneath it all. First-term members, especially, are building their staffs, their networks, and their policy priorities. This class is one of the largest in years, so we should expect lots of open, curious minds looking to learn and build new connections across industries. What members-elect experience in their first months on the Hill will shape how they legislate for years to come.

This goes for Congressional staff as much as Members. A new office hires its legislative team in its first weeks, and these leaders will be on the frontlines of taking industry meetings and drafting legislative language. Many of the staff working on tech policy are learning about these issues in real-time, as the tech is fast-moving and ever-evolving. Through public and private partnerships, we have a unique opportunity to work together to help newly elected Congressional leaders and their staff experience emerging technologies firsthand, so they are ready to write the rules that will govern U.S. technology for decades to come. In order to achieve this, it is critical that our industry is ready to show up with the technology, offer demos, and be ready to answer all types of questions.

Policymaker education on emerging technology has never mattered more. Voters put emerging technologies on the agenda this fall, and the 120th Congress will now decide whether the U.S. leads or lags. The best thing industry leaders can do is to invest the time in ensuring this country’s policy leaders can experience the technology they’re regulating up close. We’re looking forward to having the opportunity to do just that in January.

Note: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.

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Diversified RWA stablecoins sustain 5-7% yield from real credit as crypto funding compresses to ~4%. GENIUS pushes yield off-chain; TAM grows to $4B in 3 years.

Diversified RWA stablecoins sustain 5-7% yield from real credit as crypto funding compresses to ~4%. GENIUS pushes yield off-chain; TAM grows to $4B in 3 years.

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