House Democrats Ask SEC to Explain Oversight of AI Agents Trading for Retail Investors

House Financial Services Committee Democrats asked the SEC to explain how it oversees AI agents that trade stocks for retail investors and may soon handle other assets. According to BeInCrypto, Reps. Bill Foster and Brad Sherman sent a letter to SEC Chairman Paul Atkins seeking written answers to 13 questions by July 31 on investor protection and market integrity. Lawmakers cited risks including broker-dealer duties, developer accountability and correlated trades that could amplify volatility. They also asked whether current securities laws, including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Investment Advisers Act of 1940, cover agentic trading, and noted potential expansion to options, cryptocurrency, event contracts and futures.