AI regulation took center stage at Thursday’s San Francisco congressional debate, as Supervisor Connie Chan and state Sen. Scott Wiener challenged each other’s ability to oversee the industry. The candidates also clarified their positions on Israel.
Wiener cited SB 53, a law approved in 2025 that protects AI-company whistleblowers, requires companies to report safety incidents to the state and makes developers publish safety plans. Chan questioned his independence, pointing to $500,000 given by Public First Action to a PAC supporting his campaign. The organization is funded by Anthropic and advocates AI regulation; Wiener argued that its support reflected his record on safety.
The two largely agreed on the need for independent safety checks and human oversight. But Chan called the final version of SB 53 weaker than it should have been, while Wiener rejected that assessment. Four of the debate’s 10 questions touched on AI.
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