Congress just introduced a kill switch for AI, and your workflows might be the collateral damage.

Two representatives, Ted Lieu and Nathaniel Moran, have introduced bipartisan legislation that would require AI developers to maintain controls capable of throttling their systems, restricting users, suspending service, or shutting everything down on demand. Think of it like a circuit breaker hardwired into the platforms you use every day. The government flips it, and your tools go dark.

If you've built real business processes around ChatGPT, Claude, or any other major AI platform, this is a business continuity question, not a politics question. What happens to your customer onboarding if your AI assistant disappears for a week? What about your automated email drafts, your proposal templates, your support workflows? Most small owners haven't thought past "what if my Wi-Fi goes out." This is a bigger version of that problem.

The honest answer isn't to panic and abandon your AI stack. It's to treat your AI tools the way a smart owner treats any single vendor: don't build everything on one platform with no backup plan. Document your workflows so a human can run them manually if needed. And keep an eye on how this bill moves. Read the full breakdown from Shelly Palmer here.

Meanwhile, the data on how real owners are actually using AI is more nuanced than the headlines suggest.

Gusto surveyed new business owners in 2025 and found that nearly 60% used AI to help set up their businesses. But the takeaway isn't "AI is replacing everyone." The pattern that keeps showing up is AI paired with human contractors, not instead of them. One solopreneur profiled in Forbes uses Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude Opus for policy drafting and financial workflows, then brings in contractors when she needs to scale actual capacity. AI handles the thinking work. Humans handle the doing work. That's a model worth copying. Full story at Forbes.

·        Taskade: Build AI-powered apps, agents, and automated workflows from a single prompt, no code required. One-click clones for CRM, invoicing, onboarding, and inventory. Best for solopreneurs and small owners who want to consolidate tools without hiring a developer. Free tier includes 1,000 credits; paid plans available.

·        A community event series in Crow Wing County, Minnesota is dedicating its entire fall 2026 lineup to AI education for small business owners, a sign that hands-on AI training is going local fast. Brainerd Dispatch

·        Indianapolis retailers are using AI to detect shoplifting in real time, worth a look if you run a physical location. MSN

-Scott

SmartOwner is published (almost) daily by the team at DigitalTreehouse. Want AI consulting or automations for your business? Reply to this email.