GoKawiilU.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) (L) looks on as Congressional Black Caucus Chairperson Yvette Clarke (D-NY) speaks during a news conference in opposition to the SCORE Act in front of the U.S. Capitol on May 19, 2026 in Washington, DC.
This year's Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, which wraps Sunday, has taken on a different feel than its usual college homecoming vibe. The event, which has drawn thousands of attendees to Washington, took on a more serious tone with briefings and conversations focused on artificial intelligence opportunities and regulation amid escalating concern about threats posed by the technology.
"I stand 100%, and so does the CBC on regulation," CBC Vice Chair Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.) told CNBC. "I think we need guardrails, I think we need transparency, I think we need to prepare and protect the community from the potential ills that come with it."
Carter said at least 60 of the 62 members of the CBC would vote for a bill to regulate artificial intelligence, creating guardrails and placing guidelines on human safety. He added that competition with China should not be a factor in any legislation.
"I'm not going to run and race with China, they're not doing it the right way. They are not protecting communities," he said. "Our race should be enhanced innovation, advanced technology, while we simultaneously protect the rights of the American people."
The CBC is an influential group whose members include 29% of Democrats in the U.S. House. As Democrats aim to take control of the House in November's midterm election, the caucus's standing could rise.
The CBC's tackling of AI came amid the backdrop of Open AI becoming the latest company to report an incident where AI agents conducted what they call 'concerning model behavior,' It's one of a growing number of so called 'jailbreaks,' the slang term for when models bypass guidelines and perform unauthorized actions.
"The message they wanted me to bring is how we can do this in a way that protects our communities but do not put us in a position to lose in a national security race," said X. Eyee, an AI expert and Army veteran, who spoke with CBC members about striking a balance between putting boundaries on the technology without inhibiting innovation. "To do that, it does require addressing some of these areas where algorithms are being used with little boundaries around them."
Carter said he is talking with voters about how important the upcoming midterm elections are for AI regulation. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., this month asked that the House stay in session to find a way to legislate AI safeguards. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., after President Donald Trump called AI-safety concerns a "hoax," countered that "It's time for our members to go home to their districts and make their case to the American people,"
"They're not bringing it to the floor because I'm not sure that they want the regulation that we want," Carter said of Republican House leadership. "I've heard them say pump the breaks. I've heard them say let let innovation handle it on its own, but we can't afford to do that."