According to Newsweek, the debate covers issues including AI regulation, data centers and energy, jobs, safety and privacy, and national security and competition with China.
Newsweek’s AI Policy Scorecard places all 537 sitting members of Congress on a scale from AI Skeptic to AI Booster, based on their voting records, bill sponsorships and public statements.
The scorecard found that Democrats had an average score of 2.60, while Republicans averaged 3.26 on the five-point scale. However, the differences between the parties were not uniform across all policy areas.
Only 18 lawmakers were classified as AI Skeptics, all Democrats, while 10 were classified as AI Boosters, all Republicans. Another 191 lawmakers fell into the Mixed category.
The largest partisan difference identified by the scorecard was over data centers. Republicans had an average score of 3.5 in the category, while Democrats averaged 1.9.
On AI safety, both parties recorded an average score of 2.1. On national security and China, Republicans averaged 4.4, compared with 3.9 for Democrats.
The article highlighted lawmakers whose positions combine elements from both sides of the debate. Republican Representative Andy Barr, for example, has advocated for expanding data centers, semiconductor production and power generation, while also arguing that local communities should decide whether infrastructure projects are built in their areas.
Democratic Representative Ted Lieu has supported bipartisan efforts to strengthen US AI leadership while also backing legislation that would require developers of powerful AI systems to maintain the ability to slow or shut down systems posing catastrophic risks.
The debate has also attracted unusual alliances outside Congress, with labor groups and conservative religious organizations supporting some of the same positions on AI-related concerns, including jobs and safety.
