By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Silicon Valley is preparing for intensified scrutiny from a potential Democratic-controlled Congress after next week's midterm elections, with strategists predicting wide-ranging investigations into Big Tech's ties to President Donald Trump and the unchecked advancement of artificial intelligence.
Tech leaders' alignment with Trump
Major executives including Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai appeared at Trump's 2025 inauguration and recently joined a White House "Super Intelligence" summit on AI. California Democratic strategist Cooper Teboe said the industry has "done nothing to prevent themselves from being the villain of the 2028 storyline" and faces investigations on both official and political fronts.
Potential investigations and hearings
Senator Jon Ossoff has called for Big Tech bosses to testify before Congress "immediately," arguing that AI challenges require "wise and capable leadership" rather than Trump's brash optimism. Senators Elizabeth Warren, Richard Blumenthal and Chris Van Hollen released a report this month on data centers' impact on consumer costs, while Representative Frank Pallone Jr announced an expanded investigation into AI-powered surveillance pricing.
AI oversight and data center concerns
Law firm DLA Piper's Brandon Rios noted a growing "bipartisan consensus" on AI and data center issues, predicting "odd bedfellows" as Democrats and Republicans unite over local utility strains such as high energy prices and water shortages. Federal AI safety legislation is a likely Democratic priority, though it could face a presidential veto.
