US Senator Wants Permanent Ban on Artificial Superintelligence

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Greg Casar of Texas are drafting legislation to permanently prohibit the creation and use of artificial superintelligence in the United States. The Ban Artificial Superintelligence Act was announced by the two lawmakers on Thursday, citing recent hacking incidents involving rogue AI models as the motivation for their concerns.

The legislation would also temporarily suspend the development of advanced AI systems until federal regulators put safety measures in place. Permanent Ban and Temporary AI Pause The proposed bill would outlaw the development and deployment of AI systems that could outsmart humans, a concept referred to as artificial superintelligence.

Several prominent technology executives, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, have indicated that such superintelligence may be imminent. Alongside the permanent ban, the bill would temporarily pause advanced AI development until federal authorities implement safety requirements. The legislation would also urge the US government to negotiate international agreements to prevent the creation of superintelligence in other nations.

New Federal AI Safety Agency Sanders and Casar propose establishing a new Cabinet-level federal agency to oversee AI safety regulations. This agency would be in charge of setting standards for the development of advanced AI systems under the proposed legislation. The lawmakers contend that stronger federal oversight is required because AI systems are advancing faster than current regulations allow.

Companies Could Be Forced to Shut Down The bill proposes severe penalties for individuals or companies attempting to circumvent the superintelligence ban. Companies could be subjected to what the lawmakers term a "corporate death penalty," under which a court could order a company to cease operations. Individuals found guilty of violating the ban could face prison sentences of up to 20 years.

Sanders Raises Concerns Over AI Control Sanders expressed concerns about recent AI incidents that demonstrate why continued development should be halted without enhanced safeguards. "Almost every day, there is a terrifying new story about how Big Tech companies are losing control of the technology they are developing, with potentially disastrous consequences," Sanders stated in a statement.

He argued that leaders of major AI companies have admitted to not fully comprehending the systems they are constructing and that permitting them to create increasingly sophisticated models without additional controls would be irresponsible. Casar also highlighted the rapid pace of AI development, noting that the technology has progressed significantly since the release of the first version of ChatGPT.

"In just four years, we have gone from the first version of ChatGPT to AI models so powerful they cannot be properly controlled," Casar remarked.