Amid growing concerns about the potential impact of artificial intelligence on society, some lawmakers have raised questions about Congress's ability to effectively regulate the technology. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., humorously suggested that many members of Congress "can’t spell it" and lack the necessary knowledge of AI. Similarly, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., noted that some lawmakers "still don’t know how to get on the internet," let alone grasp the complexities of AI. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., emphasized that many in Congress are not up to speed on AI and that the issue is not a lack of computer scientists, but rather a lack of basic understanding of how the technology works. Congress has a long history of being slow to regulate new technologies. Despite the internet being invented more than 40 years ago, there is still no comprehensive federal legislation governing it. Similarly, efforts to regulate social media have been stalled for over two decades since Facebook became publicly available. While new rules aimed at protecting children online are widely supported in principle, actual legislation remains deadlocked between the House and Senate. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former astronaut and Navy combat pilot, noted that passing AI legislation is "much easier" than flying a fighter jet. While some lawmakers remain skeptical about Congress's ability to regulate AI, others believe it is possible. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., who is studying machine learning, argued that Congress has the capacity to address AI regulation, and the main challenge is political will, particularly from Republicans. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has warned that AI is powerful enough to cause significant harm and stated that self-regulation is not enough. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., are hosting an AI summit with tech leaders, but it is expected to focus more on innovation and competition than on regulation. Trump has dismissed recent warnings about AI's potential dangers as a "hoax" and argued that regulations would hinder America's efforts to compete with China in AI development. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., criticized Trump and the "weakness of our politics" for the lack of action on AI, pointing out the contrast between the concerns of tech companies and the focus of Congress on other issues. In 2024, the House made a significant push on AI with a bipartisan task force that held numerous hearings and produced a 273-page report with nearly 90 recommendations, many of which have been translated into bills being considered by committees and subcommittees. Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., who chaired the task force, stated that the process has moved as quickly as possible given the constraints and that the task force has created a group of AI experts on Capitol Hill. However, he expressed hope rather than confidence that Congress can pass significant AI legislation. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, was more pessimistic, noting that the legislative process is too slow to keep up with AI developments. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., argued that while most members of Congress lack expertise on AI, they do not need to regulate every aspect of the technology, suggesting that lawmakers should focus on holding tech companies legally liable for harm caused by AI.