When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman testified before Congress in May about the existential risks large-language models and other generative artificial intelligence technologies pose to humanity, there was an elephant in the room. Who believes that Congress—in its current state, at least—is capable of designing and agreeing upon effective rules to manage this complex and far-reaching technology?

Case in point: Last week, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer outlined a plan for regulating AI. “It’s not like labor, or healthcare, or defense, where Congress has had a long history we can work off of,” he said. “Experts aren’t even sure which questions policymakers should be asking. In many ways, we’re starting from scratch.”