Most US Lawmakers Regulating AI Don't Actually Use It

A significant number of U.S. lawmakers responsible for regulating artificial intelligence have admitted they don't use the technology themselves, according to interviews conducted by Axios with more than two dozen elected officials.

Senior members of Congress holding key committee positions told Axios they have little to no personal experience with AI tools. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), 75, who chairs the Armed Services Committee, responded "Heavens no" when asked if he uses AI. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), 74, ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said he doesn't think he's ever used it. Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho), 83, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, also confirmed he doesn't personally use the technology.

Why it matters

This disconnect between regulatory authority and practical experience comes at a critical moment when Congress faces mounting pressure to establish AI guardrails. The technology is advancing rapidly, with industry leaders warning of existential risks if left unregulated. Lawmakers crafting policies without firsthand understanding of AI's capabilities and limitations may struggle to write effective legislation that balances innovation with safety.

The generational divide

Some lawmakers appeared uncertain whether they've encountered AI at all. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), 70, said he might trigger AI when using Google search but goes no further. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), 88, couldn't recall if she's used it. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), 68, said his only AI exposure comes from email summarization tools that "often get it wrong."

One anonymous GOP senator told Axios the number of colleagues who use AI is "not very high," contributing to what they described as a knee-jerk negative reaction toward the technology among legislators.

Pushback on both sides

The lack of hands-on experience has drawn criticism from within Congress itself. One House Democrat called the situation "f*cking absurd," arguing that anyone overseeing AI must be a regular user. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), 74, expressed disbelief that colleagues don't use AI, saying he uses it "for everything."

Some lawmakers defended their position. After his interview, Pallone issued a statement comparing AI regulation to drug policy: "You don't need to do drugs like heroin to know they should be regulated. Members of Congress don't need to spend their time talking to AI chatbots all day to know we need to rein in this dangerous technology."

Kaine similarly argued he doesn't need to use AI to legislate about it, saying he has read extensively on the subject and trusts his own judgment.

The exceptions

Several older lawmakers do actively engage with AI. Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), 79, ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, uses AI daily. Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.), 76, pursued a master's degree in machine learning and told Axios he prefers the Claude AI assistant.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D), 48, said he uses AI-powered search summaries on Google but not for research or writing, emphasizing that final decisions in his state government must be made by humans.

Rob Flaherty, a Democratic digital strategist who co-founded a group pushing his party to move faster on AI issues, called the knowledge gap "a real problem," noting that "understanding what it can do is essential to figuring out what we ought to do about it."

These details were first reported by Axios.