What the midterms mean for AI

The "Dead Loop" is gymnastics' most famous forbidden skill.

In 1972, Olga Korbut stood on top of the uneven high bar, before executing a backflip and catching the same bar on the way down. The move shocked the world and earned the 17 year-old a score of 9.8. A decade later, the Olympic committee banned the stunt, since one tiny slip could end in catastrophe.

What’s in store:

Democrats' blue wave shakes up the AI industry.
Gymnastics’ newest judge is very, very exact.
Mindstream Picks:

Read Time: 5 minutes

POLITICS

What the midterms mean for AI.

A ‘blue tsunami’ swept the United States last week, as Democrats won big in the midterms.

Swearing in doesn’t happen until January, but the AI industry has already taken notice. As Dems take control of Congress, plans to tighten AI restrictions have already begun circulating.

That said, any legislation that comes through the House and the Senate will still have to survive the Oval Office. And these are steep odds while President Trump holds the veto pen. Especially since he’s repeatedly dismissed calls for AI regulation.

But still, this political shift changes the playing field. And while every campaign promise won’t come to fruition, AI leaders now have a sense of what to expect from this new Congress.

Democrats plans for AI:

Set guardrails around data centers, to help protect consumers from rising electricity costs.
Require independent testing for advanced AI systems.
Create legal standards that clarify when and how AI companies will be held liable for harm.

Washington vs Wall Street

It took less than a week for investors to respond. Talks of an AI crackdown led to a Nasdaq sell-off of more than 5%, wiping out over $2 trillion in market value.

How the market plays out from here isn’t clear cut. People on both sides of the political aisle have spoken out against data centers, with concerns that they’ll gobble up water, land, and energy. But when rapid AI progress hinges on building more centers, pushback has a price.

On the other side, it’s not just institutional investors that are feeling this squeeze. Many average Americans own AI shares via individual investments, 401(k)s, or pension funds. Plus AI has helped the economy deliver 3.4% annual growth in Q3 of this year.

Balancing both of these pressures is a tall order. According to Rep. Zoe Lofgren, the goal is “responsible regulations for AI while also fostering innovation.”

Governing AI is a balancing act, with trillions on the scale.

These midterms are full of plot twists! -TL

Should Congress put new limits on AI development?

Yes, we needed guardrails yesterday.

No, let innovation thrive.

Vote for live results and see results + opinions from yesterday at the bottom of the email.

Riddle Me This

A woman has four daughters and each daughter has one brother. How many children does she have?

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SPORTS

AI judges could debut at the 2028 Olympics

The newest addition in the Olympic arena may just be AI judges.

World Gymnastics is currently in talks to bring Fujitsu’s judging system to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. They gave the system a test run in Rotterdam at the World Championships. Officials who oversaw all 10 events had access to the AI analyses and 3D breakdowns that get hyper-specific about scoring, spotting errors that the human eye would likely miss.

AI judges in action:

Four cameras (eight for floor) work to build a 3D model of each routine.
The system can recognize skills and measure joint angles down to the degree.
An in-depth analysis arrives within 15 seconds of the final landing.

Not ready to fly solo

Sure, a person may see a straight leg while AI clocks 179 degrees. But that level of precision cuts both ways, as it could actually be "too exact for humans." That’s because gymnastics rewards more than perfect flips and angles. Floor exercise also scores musical interpretation, choreography, and style.

Human judges still need to be present, to handle surprises and understand the artistry that goes into a routine. While AI is designed to help with specific, quantitative decisions.

So yes, AI can calculate the degrees. But human judges still need to call the score.

I’ll give it an 8.6 out of 10 -TL

Mindstream Picks

Space: Iconic sci-fi magazine Starlog is returning on November 13 after a 17-year hiatus, relaunching as an annual print edition to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Business: Starbucks plans to hire 7,500 baristas and open 500 new UK coffee shops by 2031, focusing on the Midlands, northern England, Wales and Scotland to support growth and youth employment.

Music: Dua Lipa is reportedly in advanced talks to headline Reading and Leeds Festival in August 2027, with a potential Coachella appearance and UK stadium tour also in the works.

Don’t Miss: The chance to meet HubSpot’s CMO in London at the launch of his new book. Register here to attend!