Ahead of the United States' November midterm elections, regulation and oversight of the AI industry have emerged as major political issues. If Democrats secure a majority in either the House or the Senate, congressional investigations and hearings targeting AI companies could expand.

On Oct. 19, local time, IT outlet The Verge reported that leading Democratic lawmakers signaled they could closely investigate tax credits related to data centers and recent cybersecurity incidents.

If Democrats win control of standing committees, they could use oversight powers by calling AI company chief executives to testify and demanding internal documents.

The AI industry is already being used as a major campaign theme. Voter interest is growing as concerns spread about power consumption and environmental burdens tied to data center construction, along with fears of job losses.

Jesse Lehrich (제시 레리치), a Democratic strategist, called it "an opportunity for AI regulation to gain political attention" but said it was uncertain whether Democrats would translate that into actual policy.

Rob Flaherty (롭 플래허티), a former deputy campaign manager for Kamala Harris (카멀라 해리스)'s presidential campaign, said Democrats had long failed to address AI issues aggressively. He said a lack of understanding of technology and the AI industry's massive political funding played a role.

Flaherty recently set up the political action committee Tomorrow Together and launched a $4 million advertising campaign targeting Republican candidates. The ads included online child safety and data center issues.

By contrast, the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future had spent about $45 million as of June and held $31 million in funds, it showed.

Within and outside the Democratic Party, proposals being mentioned include pre-deployment safety testing for advanced AI models, child protection and stronger corporate accountability for labour and housing discrimination. Another item under discussion is requiring companies to shoulder part of the costs of job displacement caused by AI.

Still, there is no agreement within the party on the specific level of regulation. Observers say the direction of regulation for the U.S. AI industry could shift depending on the balance of power in Congress after the midterms.