The Worst Way to Regulate AI
The Atlantic argues that the executive branch should not have unilateral power to regulate AI, suggesting that such authority belongs to Congress. The piece warns that an ad hoc approach to AI oversight risks cronyism and lacks the necessary consistency for effective governance.
Why it matters
It highlights the ongoing tension between national security, executive overreach, and the need for a formal legislative framework for emerging technologies.
Abdicating power over the technology to this or any White House would be a mistake.
Illustration by Alisa Gao / The Atlantic July 28, 2026, 2:32 PM ET Share Save The debate about how to regulate AI is unfolding as American tech companies race one another—and labs in other countries—to create ever more powerful models. Advocates of a laissez-faire approach to this technology believe that America should avoid overly restrictive regulations, because unlocking AI’s potential before other nations do could make this country safer and wealthier for generations. Their detractors believe that because AI models pose growing and possibly even existential threats to humans, the state should review them prior to release and limit early access so that good actors can get ahead of bad actors.
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