U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), left, looks on as Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clark (D-NY) speaks at a press conference opposing the SCORE Act in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on May 19, 2026.
Alex Wong | Getty Images
This year’s Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference, which concludes Sunday, takes on a different atmosphere than the usual college homecoming atmosphere. The event, which drew thousands of attendees to Washington, took on a more serious tone with briefings and conversations focused on the opportunities and regulation of artificial intelligence amid growing concerns about the threats posed by the technology.
“I support it 100%, and so does the CBC when it comes to regulation,” CBC Vice Chairman Rep. Troy Carter (D-Louisiana) told CNBC. “I think we need guardrails, I think we need transparency, I think we need to be prepared to protect our communities from the potential illness that comes with it.”
Carter said at least 60 of the CBC’s 62 members will vote in favor of legislation that would regulate artificial intelligence, install guardrails and set human safety guidelines. He added that competition with China should not be a factor in any legislation.
“I’m not going to race with China. They’re not doing things the right way. They’re not protecting their communities,” he said. “Our race must strengthen innovation and advanced technology while protecting the rights of the American people.”
The CBC is an influential group whose membership includes 29% of Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats are aiming to win a majority in the House of Representatives in November’s midterm elections, which could boost their caucus rankings.
CBC’s AI efforts come in the context of Open AI becoming the latest company to report an incident in which an AI agent engaged in so-called “model behavior-related” behavior. This is one of a growing number of so-called “jailbreaks,” a slang term for when a model circumvents guidelines and performs unauthorized actions.
“The message they wanted to get across to me was how can we do this in a way that protects our communities but doesn’t put us on the losing end of the national security race,” said AI expert and Army veteran X. I, who spoke with CBC members about balancing putting boundaries around technology without stifling innovation. “To do that, we need to address some of the areas where algorithms are being used that have few boundaries.”
Carter said he is talking to voters about how important the upcoming midterm elections are for AI regulation. Earlier this month, House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York called for the House to remain in session to find a way to enact AI safeguards. “It’s time for members of Congress to go back to their districts and make their case to the American people,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said after President Donald Trump called AI safety concerns a “hoax.”
“The reason they haven’t brought it to the floor is because they don’t know if they want the kind of regulation that we want,” Carter said of House Republican leaders. “I’ve heard them say give us more breaks. I’ve heard them say let innovation do the work. We don’t have that luxury.”
Congressman Troy Carter (D-Louisiana) speaks at a press conference with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus about the Louisiana v. Curry Supreme Court decision on April 29, 2026, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC.
Nathan Posner | Anadolu | Getty Images
Skepticism about AI is growing in the caucus, and CBC’s Washington meeting was attended by members of the AI and tech industries.
meta Dina Powell McCormick, president and vice chairwoman, touted the economic benefits of building data centers and the AI they drive. Meta is building the Hyperion data center project in Louisiana, and its hyperscaler competitors include: alphabet, Amazon and microsoft They are all also in the data center expansion race.
“Technology and AI are the economic revolution of our generation,” Rep. Stephen Horsford (D-Nev.), former chairman of the CBC and current head of the technology committee, told CNBC. “That means, as Black Americans, we shouldn’t miss out on this innovation.”
Horsford spoke during a panel discussion about the importance of helping shape energy-intensive AI construction. Excelon CEO Calvin Butler.
Exelon provides power and grid services to the Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore and Washington areas, and Butler said the company is in ongoing discussions with lawmakers about the potential impact on energy prices and residents’ quality of life.
“AI is a real conversation, as people are trying to figure out where they fit and have a voice,” Butler told CNBC. “What they’re saying is we can’t stand by and let our residents be affected, and you, the energy companies, have a role to play in helping solve this problem.”
Data centers, CBC, and redistricting
The debate over AI regulation and data centers has gained urgency due to the potential impact of Congressional redistricting on CBC members. According to the Harvard Kennedy School, the Supreme Court’s decision in Louisiana v. Calais will make it difficult to create “minority-majority” districts and will have a major impact on the 2028 election and the 2030 Census.
CBC chairwoman Rep. Yvette Clark of New York estimated earlier this year that up to 19 seats held by CBC members were at risk due to redistricting.
Carter said the impact on Black communities remains, although that number has now declined following court challenges to redistricting plans.
“This is not just an issue for legislators,” he said. “This is about school boards. This is about seats in Congress.”
Mr Horsford also echoed concerns about threats to minority representation in parliament.
“This is in no way about protecting any particular constituency, this is not about protecting any particular political party or any other political party,” he said. “It’s about protecting voters’ right to choose their representatives, not protecting which voters their representatives can choose. And as long as we keep that at the center of our work, we’re honoring what democracy should be.”
