[DigitalToday reporter Jae-won Choi] Scott Wiener (스콧 위너), a California state senator who has led AI regulation legislation in the U.S. state, has emerged as a key figure to lead AI regulation discussions in Washington after winning a U.S. House election. Wiener said risks from advances in AI technology are growing and urged a strong federal-level regulatory framework.

On Nov. 9 (local time), MIT Technology Review reported that Wiener won a midterm election on Nov. 3 after running in a San Francisco district long represented by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (낸시 펠로시).

Wiener recently cited a report released by AI safety research group METR and warned, "The pace of AI development could accelerate to a level that is hard to control." The report said the rate of performance improvements in Anthropic’s AI models has become about 1.9 times faster than in the past, and that the impact of using AI in research and development is significant.

It has not been proven, however, that AI has reached a stage of recursive self-improvement in which it develops next-generation models on its own without human intervention.

Wiener said a federal AI oversight agency with strong authority should be established and that safety testing and audits for AI companies, whistleblower protections and emergency shutdown mechanisms should be institutionalised. He also said he would take part if Congress sets up a special AI committee.

Wiener pushed 'SB 1047,' an advanced AI regulation bill, while serving as a California state senator, but it was scrapped in 2024 after a governor’s veto. A revised version, 'SB 53,' which adjusted the level of regulation, was enacted into law last year.

He also opposed a plan for the federal government to broadly restrict state governments’ authority to regulate AI. He said state legislative autonomy is needed to respond quickly to technological change.

His relationship with the AI industry is also a source of controversy. Public First Action, a group backed by Anthropic, provided a large amount of support to a pro-Wiener political action committee, raising concerns about conflicts of interest. Wiener countered that it reflected recognition of his track record on AI regulation legislation.

Wiener also said public opposition to building data centres stems from concerns over electricity bills, water use and residential living conditions, rather than long-term risks from AI.

Wiener said it is hard to be optimistic about the outlook for federal AI regulation given U.S. President Donald Trump’s policy direction and Congress’ legislative record, but he would continue to push for effective safety measures.