Dr. Nicole Turner Lee and other witnesses told the subcommittee that AI‑enabled scams and deepfakes are already harming consumers and that federal action is necessary to protect people and institutions.

Turner Lee said AI tools enabling voice cloning and realistic deepfakes have been used in scams targeting seniors and argued that existing consumer protection laws apply but are insufficient without broader privacy and disclosure rules. “Being responsible requires national governance,” she testified, and she cited existing statutory tools for some sectors, mentioning the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act as examples of laws that regulate certain outcomes.

Turner Lee and others urged human oversight of consequential automated decisions, mandatory disclosures about automated or autonomous use, and independent audits of AI systems that affect consumer rights. She warned that focusing policy solely on U.S. competitiveness against China risks sidelining consumer protection objectives.

Throughout questioning, members cited the volume of unwanted marketing calls and expressed concern about data brokers and third‑party access to personal data; witnesses recommended a federal privacy standard modeled on sectoral protections such as HIPAA for health data. No consumer‑protection legislation was enacted during the hearing; members and witnesses signaled interest in drafting privacy and consumer safeguards for AI applications.