Political Tech
The regulatory decisions made about AI in the next four years will shape the economy for decades.
NewsOnScale Staff
April 22, 2026
The regulatory decisions made about artificial intelligence in the next four years will shape economic competition, labor markets, national security, and individual rights for decades. The decisions being made now about AI payment rails, agent accountability, data privacy, and liability for AI-generated harm will establish precedents that constrain or enable possibilities that do not yet exist.
The 2028 presidential field has not engaged seriously with these questions. AI is mentioned as a jobs issue. As a national security issue. As a creative rights issue. What it is not being treated as is a governance infrastructure question that requires specific policy expertise.
## The governance questions that matter
Agent accountability asks who is legally responsible when an autonomous agent causes harm. The current legal framework has no clear answer.
Payment rail governance asks whether AI agent payment infrastructure should be subject to money transmission regulation or a new category designed specifically for machine-to-machine commerce.
Data governance asks what data AI systems can train on, who owns the outputs, and what disclosure is required when AI-generated content is presented as human-generated.
## Why it matters for 2028
The president elected in 2028 will have significant influence over AI regulatory infrastructure through executive appointments, regulatory guidance, and legislative priorities. A president with no developed position on AI governance will default to industry lobbying, which historically produces regulation that protects incumbents rather than the public interest.