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White House releases AI policy wishlist for Congress

The White House unveiled its policy recommendations for AI on Friday, stating its federal framework must take precedence over a patchwork of conflicting state laws on the emerging technology.

The blueprint for Congress is split into seven priorities, ranging from online safety laws for children to the protection of free speech and the streamlining of AI infrastructure.

The four-page outline follows an executive order from President Trump last December seeking to limit states' abilities to regulate AI and push forward efforts to regulate at the federal level.

The recommendations will be sent to Congress, which has spent years deadlocked on AI and kids online safety regulations amid fierce partisan and intraparty disagreements

It comes ahead of the 2026 midterms, and recent polling indicates AI and data centers are expected to be a key issue for constituents.

The White House acknowledged these concerns in a release Friday, writing it "recognizes that some Americans feel uncertain about how this transformative technology will affect issues they care about, like their children's wellbeing or their monthly electricity bill."

The framework urges Congress to "build on" its kids online safety actions so far, like Sen. Ted Cruz's (R-Texas) Take it Down Act, which criminalized the publication of nonconsensual sexually explicit "deepfake" images and videos online.

The White House said future regulations should give parents and guardians "robust tools" to manage children's online activity, along with creating "commercially reasonable [and] privacy protective" age assurance requirements — another divisive issue on Capitol Hill.

Read more on the framework at TheHill.com

Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Julia Shapero and Miranda Nazzaro— tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley.

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