The AI Policy Podcast Congressman Jay Obernolte on the Future of U.S. AI Regulation
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Oct 21, 2025 
In this discussion, Congressman Jay Obernolte, a California representative and co-chair of the bipartisan House Task Force on AI, shares his journey from video game development to AI policy. He highlights the findings of a comprehensive report advocating for sectoral regulation over centralized standards. Obernolte discusses the effects of AI bias, the challenges of misinformation, and the importance of bipartisan collaboration for federal AI legislation. He emphasizes the necessity for a cohesive federal approach to avoid fragmented state laws.
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From AI PhD To Video Game Studio
- Jay Obernolte left a PhD program in AI when his side business writing video games became a commercial success.
- He ran Farsight Studios for 30 years and his son now manages the studio.
Mixing Seats To Build Bipartisan Ties
- Obernolte ordered mixed seating on the bipartisan task force to get members to meet across party lines.
- He credits this practice with building relationships and productive collaboration.
Favor Sectoral Over Centralized AI Rules
- The task force recommended empowering sectoral regulators rather than creating a new centralized AI regulator.
- Sectoral regulation matches NIST's view that AI risk is highly contextual and depends on specific use cases.