Brookings

The first 19 months of the Trump Federal Communications Commission have changed the nature of the agency. For most of its history, the FCC was a policy-driven body existing in an inevitably political environment. Under the Trump administration, it has become a politics-driven agency employing policy as an instrument.

Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to find its way into every corner of our digital lives. The headlines focus on ever-bigger models, but the future will be determined by applications built on those models. Who builds those applications—the ones that will reshape medicine, education, software development, and mundane back-end enterprise services—has not yet been decided. Whether future applications will be determined by oligopolists or entrepreneurs depends on who controls the infrastructure those applications need.

Many American workers associate artificial intelligence with layoffs, less satisfying work, and tech billionaires becoming ever more wealthy at their expense. They may be right. But one can also imagine a world in which the fruits of AI are instead invested in society. What if every K-12 student was taught by well-trained teachers in small classes, every patient interacted with unharried nurses, elders had the opportunity to age with dignity in their own homes or in high-quality residential care facilities, and everyone could find an affordable therapist when needed?

In a raw exercise of leveraging public trust for political gain, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr, at the behest of President Trump, is forcing America’s broadcasters to choose between free speech and their business interests. It is a bad business deal and an even worse deal for democracy.

On March 20, the Trump White House released its National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence. It is filled with worthy aspirations such as protecting children, promoting innovation, and ensuring American leadership. But it sidesteps the most important question in AI governance: Who is in charge of those in charge?

March 10, 2026, marks the 150th anniversary of Alexander Graham Bell’s first telephone call. His words—“Mr. Watson, come here; I want to see you.”—were simple but launched a revolution in human connectivity.