US Congress has introduced a new financial services bill to accelerate AI adoption in finance via regulatory sandboxes, enabling safe experimentation with balanced consumer protections and bipartisan support.

In sum – what to know:

Sandbox labs – bill creates new AI Innovation Labs at seven federal agencies for controlled AI testing by banks etc.

Safe innovation – bipartisan lawmakers emphasize fast AI innovation and safe AI adoption for finance firms.

Action plan – the legislation is informed by US AI Action Plan, which specifies regulatory sandboxes for vertical AI.

Members of the US Congress have introduced new legislation to accelerate AI innovation in the financial services industry, with rules about responsible usage and provisions for regulatory flexibility. The new legislation, called Unleashing AI Innovation in Financial Services Act (H.R. 4801), was introduced on Wednesday (July 30), and proposes the creation of regulatory “sandboxes” for financial services companies to test AI apps without “unnecessary or unduly burdensome regulation or expectation of enforcement actions”.

Seven US regulatory agencies will be required to establish AI Innovation Labs as controlled environments for approved entities in the sector to test AI technologies. Financial firms would be able to submit proposals for review, with agencies required to respond within 120 days. The agencies are the Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Securities and Exchange Commission, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, National Credit Union Administration, and Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The legislation was introduced by a bipartisan group of senators and lawmakers, led by US representative French Hill (R-AR), chair of the House Financial Services Committee, and steered also by representatives Richie Torres (D-NY), Bryan Steil (R-WI), and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ). Senators Mike Rounds (R-S.D), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) will sponsor the bill in the Senate. The act has been referred to the House Financial Services Committee for further consideration, also.

The Trump administration released a 23-page federal AI Action Plan a couple of weeks back (July 23) to speed up AI infrastructure deployment, limit regulation of AI, and promote export of a US AI technology stack, while also prohibiting federal procurement of AI models that generate “biased” AI outputs (“driven by ideologies like diversity, equity, and inclusion at the cost of accuracy”). The point about looser regulation is important, of course, for the private sector, invariably driving much of the capital investment and innovation.

It is an emotive topic, with different approaches by different governments in different regions – seeking variously to straddle the line between well-ordered regulation and protection and free-flowing capital and innovation. The US is looking to loosen as much red tape as possible. Trump’s AI Action Plan emphasizes the role of regulatory sandboxes to manage fast innovation alongside safe adoption. Representative Hill, with others, has recommended the same, and shaped AI policy across multiple sessions of Congress. The finance sector is among the leading adopters of AI.

Hill said: “As AI continues to evolve, we must understand its full impact because it will touch every part of our lives. [This act] ensures that federal financial agencies allow the companies they oversee to experiment with AI through regulatory sandboxes. Our committee looks forward to exploring AI and its uses in the financial services industry. We are committed to fostering innovation and collaboration between the public and private sectors.”

Others talked about “responsibility” to “ensure responsible innovation that protects consumers, strengthens our economy, and maintains American leadership”, and to “lead in AI while… addressing the risks that come with [it]”. The message was the same from all.

Gottheimer said: “We need smart safeguards in place to protect consumers, prevent abuse, and ensure… [safety]. We also must ensure that the US continues to lead the world in innovation… This commonsense bill will allow for experimentation while putting guardrails in place to strengthen consumer protections and help ensure that American technology stays ahead of the curve.”