Ferguson to Outline Skeptical Approach to AI Regulation at Reuters NEXT
FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson is set to outline his vision for AI regulation at the Reuters NEXT Newsmaker event, where he will emphasize the importance of using existing tools and being cautious of proposals that could stifle innovation.
Ferguson's approach to AI oversight can be summarized as 'regulate less, enforce more.' Rather than crafting a new regulatory framework, he believes that the FTC's current authorities are sufficient to tackle deceptive practices and competitive harms in the AI space.
Under Ferguson's leadership, the FTC has taken action where it sees clear consumer harm. The agency has initiated enforcement efforts concerning the impact of AI chatbots on children and has gone after misleading advertising claims about what AI technology can actually do.
Ferguson's most pointed public remarks on AI regulation came during a speech at Georgetown University in 2026, where he took direct aim at proposals from within the AI industry itself. He criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's call for antitrust clearance to coordinate slowdowns in AI model development as 'deeply suspicious.'