When the case for an exception becomes clear enough, Congress has been known to create one. RCA, for instance, was created as a holding company for radio patents because otherwise there could not have been a universal standard for radio broadcast and reception. There has been a similar campaign to create an exception for encryption technology, but I don't know what action was taken. There have also been cases where courts have created an exception. Courts have forced the licensing of such patents, and have also disallowed the use of patents solely to suppress a technology.
Most patents are for new ways to improve an existing process.
If people are denied access to the new technique, they can still use the old one. Where that is not true, an exception may be required. As to AI being such a case, I withhold judgment. It's too soon to tell. Let the process unfold as usual.