# Nancy Pelosi’s replacement ready to regulate AI

> California senator Scott Wiener wins Pelosi seat and vows to regulate AI before 2026.
- Title: Nancy Pelosi’s replacement ready to regulate AI | Shortify
- Summary: California senator Scott Wiener wins Pelosi seat and vows to regulate AI before 2026.
- Keywords: scott wiener, nancy pelosi, ai regulation, recursive self-improvement, congressional seat, california state senator, public first action, anthropic, ai safety, federal ai policy, whistleblower protections, kill switch
- Source: MIT Technology Review — https://technologyreview.com/2026/11/09/1148182/nancy-pelosis-replacement-is-ready-to-regulate-ai
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: scott wiener, nancy pelosi, ai regulation, recursive self-improvement, congressional seat, california state senator, public first action, anthropic, ai safety, federal ai policy, whistleblower protections, kill switch
## Scott Wiener wins Pelosi seat
California senator Scott Wiener won Nancy Pelosi’s open San Francisco congressional seat in a tight race.
## Wiener focuses on AI risks
Wiener says AI could spin out of control due to recursive self-improvement, a phenomenon where AI advances rapidly without human oversight.
## Wiener cites AI report
Wiener called a nonprofit report showing Anthropic’s potential recursive self-improvement 'very concerning' and warned we are running out of time to regulate AI.
## Wiener’s AI legislation
Wiener authored SB 1047 in 2024, which was vetoed by California governor Gavin Newsom, and later sponsored SB 53, which Newsom signed.
## Public First Action support
Wiener received over $3 million from Public First Action, a nonprofit that receives funding from Anthropic, which opponents criticized as too close to AI industry.
## Wiener’s policy ideas
Wiener wants Congress to create a strong federal AI regulator, implement whistleblower protections, and require testing and auditing of AI systems.
## State vs federal AI laws
Wiener opposes federal preemption of state AI laws, arguing states are 'laboratories' where nimble regulation can occur.
## Wiener’s cautious optimism
Wiener says Congress has a poor track record on tech regulation and hopes for a small disaster to spur action on AI risks.
## Wiener’s AI risk warning
Wiener warns that AI could lead to total loss of control if recursive self-improvement occurs, a scenario he calls 'potentially a recipe for total loss of control'.
## Key takeaway

Scott Wiener, who won Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco congressional seat, says Congress must act on AI risks before 2026 to prevent catastrophic self-improvement.