Tech bills of the week: AI research competitions; Prohibiting federal use of biometric tech; and more
Federal lawmakers introduced several bills this week targeting AI oversight, including proposals for AI research competitions, a ban on federal use of biometric technology, and new rules around data center construction.
Why this matters: A bill to ban federal use of biometric tech is the one to watch. Government agencies already use face recognition in airports, border crossings, and law enforcement. A federal prohibition would be a real limit on that. The other proposals matter too — data centers are not neutral infrastructure, and who builds them, where, and under what rules shapes how much power a handful of companies quietly accumulate. None of these bills are law yet, but the direction of pressure tells you something.
Who should care: Privacy officers · Cybersecurity · General readers · AI governance · Policy
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